2012 Ishikawa Orientation

August 16th – 17th, 2012 Ishikawa Prefectural Office

Table of Contents

Noto: Regional Guide 1

Central: Regional Guide 4

Southern: Regional Guide 12

Driving in Ishikawa 23

Public Transport 29

Frugal Living 31

Daily Living 31 Banking and Paying 32 Postal Services 35 Nutrition and Eating Healthy 37 Gyms, Exercise and Sports 39

Introduction to Teaching Second Language Learners 40

Art, Culture and Event Resources 45

International and Domestic Travel 46

Supplemental Materials 56 Ishikawa Support System Map Work Expectation Guideline Sample Medical Intake Form (General Medicine) Sample Medical Intake Form (Dental) Evacuation/Injury Card

Regional Guide Presentation by Nathan Rathbun, Chelsea Robinson and Joanna Clark What is there to do in the Noto? The Noto has a rich history with many spots to appreciate traditional Japanese culture and the great outdoors. Temples and Shrines Soujiji Temple, Monzen (Wajima) | A Soto sect Myojoji Temple, Hakui | The head temple of Nichiren temple that first prospered as the headquarters of Soto Buddhist sect in the . This temple is Zen sect from 12th century to the late 17th century. frequented by many people in the Southern Noto and is a popular shrine to visit during the New Year. Keta Taisha Shrine, Hakui | 2,100 year old shrine that shows itself in various colors in different seasons. Museums Notojima Glass Art Museum, Notojima | The Wajima Urushi Art Museum, Wajima | The only museum displays unique glass sculptures based on museum in which specialized in lacquer art. the original ideas from Picasso, Chagall and other Kiriko Lantern Museum, Wajima | Showcases artists. beautiful Kiriko lanterns painted in Wajima lacquer Notojima Aquarium, Notojima | This aquarium has style, plus a regular display of kiriko from different various species of sea creatures from all over Japan, parts of the Noto Peninsula. including ones that inhabit the Noto Peninsula Coast. Lacquerware Museum, Wajima | Learn about the Tsujiguchi Hironobu Confectionary Art Museum, history of Wajima lacquer ware and see some Wakura | Tsujiguchi was a famous confectioner born excellent examples of modern lacquer ware used in in Wakura. Visitors to the museum can see daily life. Tsujiguchi’s sugar artwork and, in the café, visitors can Go Nagai Museum, Wajima | Wajima native Nagai sample some of the original confectionaries arranged Go is the creator of numerous hit manga including by Tsujiguchi. “Devilman” and “Cutey Honey.” Nanao Art Museum, Nanao | A small museum which has housed many famous exhibits. Exhibits change regularly, so there is always something new to see. Outdoors and Sightseeing Mitsukejima Island, Suzu | The “battleship” island. through a unique chemistry between the sea and the This is one of the symbols of the Noto Peninsula. It rocks. has great sunset views. Rokugosaki “Lighthouse” | The northernmost cape Senmaida, Wajima | “One Thousand Rice Paddies” of Noto Peninsula. Visitors can enjoy a 180° This field contains thousands of rice paddies sloped panoramic view from Sado Island to the Tateyama down the coast in an interested geometric design. Alps. Ganmon and Hatago-iwa, Shika | A translucent cave Daibutsu, Anamizu | The only giant Buddha statue in mouth create by the erosion of a big rock rising out of the Noto. There is a small shop on the grounds that the sea. serves homemade soba. Asa-ichi, Wajima | Japanese ladies sell seafood, Yanagida Botanical Gardens, Yanagida | You can dried foods, vegetables and fruit, as well as chopsticks pick fresh blueberries here in the summer. The and bowls painted in Wajima lacquer ware style at the observatory holds one of the largest telescopes in the Morning Market. Open every day from 8am-11am. prefecture. Reservations necessary. Closed on the 10th and 25th of every month. Kibo no Oka Park, Nanano | A fun park with open Chirihama, Hakui | An 8km long beach on which you grass space for Frisbee, plus a hiking trail replete with can drive your car. One of the few beach driveways in cool obstacle courses and tons of kids’ attractions. Japan. In the summer, small shops sell various snacks Shokusai Ichiba Fisherman’s Wharf, Nanao | along the beach. Includes a market with souvenir shops, restaurants Sosogi Coast, Wajima | Sosogi coast is famous for its and other sightseeing spots. Right on the bay and the landscape, with magnificently rugged cliffs created center point of many festivals and cultural events.

1 Onsen and Sento Souyu, Wakura-Onsen Castle Manai, Anamizu Nagomi, Noto Yanagida Onsen, Yanagida Shopping Nanao Area Nappy Mall | This mall contains a Dontaku grocery store, Yamaya (great store for cheap alcohol, Western snacks, condiments, etc.), kaitenzushi, curry, an excellent video rental shop (Kikuzawa) and more. AL Plaza | Lots of restaurants and a decent selection of stores. There’s also a bowling alley and karaoke. Patoria | Nanao’s department store is across from the station. Contains a Daiwa, Yuni, Mister Donuts, coffee shop and a standard assortment of department store fare. Bay Mall | A new shopping area with Mos Burger, Dontaku grocery, Coco’s Restaurant, a nice bakery and more. Located near the large hospital in Nanao. Minacle | Next to Patoria and across the street from Nanao station. There is a gym, kaitenzushi, crepe shop and library on the second floor. There is also a government office on the second floor where you can apply for an alien registration card. Asty | Home to Nanao’s largest electronics store, Yamada Denki, and a grocery store. Near Komaruyama Park. Wajima Wai Plaza | Home to Yamada Denki, a large supermarket, a home and garden center and other small stores. Anamizu Dontaku | This large chain supermarket is located in a shopping center off the Noto Yuryo. There is also a Hyakuman Bolt Electronics Store, Movietime and Shimamura. Kahoku AEON Kahoku | Large grocery store, Kaldi Coffee for imported goods, Cinema Sunshine movie theater, Starbucks, good bookstore, 100 yen store and much more. Restaurants Nanao Advance | An izakaya with a very tasty menu. Located behind Minacle, near the station. The chef is very friendly to JETs. Sennari | An izakaya located on Ribbon Street. A typical combinations of Japanese food, German-British-Mexican décor and Kentucky bluegrass music. Fish n’ Chips | A popular destination for JETs not in the mood for Japanese, this has a good mix of food. Rio Italian Restaurant | Across from the Wharf, on the second floor overlooking the bay. Great sunset views, but a little pricier than other fare in Nanao. Reasonable lunch prices. Serves delicious Japanese-Italian, desserts and wine. Great atmosphere (and a perfect date location). Ganbare-ya (“Yellowhouse”) | A yellow building next to the station. Great ramen, friendly owners. Minoji | An izakaya located on Mos-doori. fun atmosphere and good food, most notably the deadly “Sushi Roulette.” Café Moritat and Hatabou Sanku Udon | A coffee shop with a master. Excellent hot homemade cocoa and cheesecake. The udon place has handmade udon in a variety of hot and cold styles. Vegetarian options available. Noto-cho, Suzu, Yanagida Flatt’s Bakery | This lovely bakery in Noto-cho off the 249 has a relaxed atmosphere and very good food. The bakery looks out onto the ocean and on very clear days you can see Mount Tateyama in the distance. Free Wi-Fi available. 2 Club Beer Brewery | Often called the most random restaurant in the Noto, Nihonkai has freshly brewed beer and wonderful fusion-style food. Don’t forget to try to emu, which is raised locally. The view is spectacular. Nizami Coffee | This coffee specialty store in Suzu has two locations. One sells on coffee beans and the other is a full café with delicious cakes. Gelato Stand | This great find is located on the 249 between Noto-cho and Anamizu. It has great flavors, including some made with local goods—try Suzu salt and Yanagida blueberry. The owner speaks a little English and is eager to use it. Deko, Suzu | An okonomiyaki restaurant with a good selection of Japanese alcoholic beverages. Vegetarian options and a bilingual staff. Anamizu and Wajima Noto Winery | Come visit the winery in Anamizu for free tastings. Ki no Koe (Temple Café) | Located in the Sosoji district of Wajima on the grounds of Kanakuradera Temple. This is an open café that serves homemade food; the pizza and desserts are especially good. A bit difficult to find, so you’d better take a veteran JET with you. Hanaden | Located on the 249 across from Don Don Udon, this yakiniku restaurant is a bit pricier than the other in Anamizu, but the meat is better quality. They have pretty authentic ishiyaki bibimbap and great kalbi. Hitenryu | The other yakiniku place located in the airport/Suzu road. It has a new feel and is always busy. Free ice cream at the end of every meal! Vio Bell | On the outskirts of town near the Noto Winery. They serve homemade pasta in the summer, herb cookies, interesting flavored soft serve, plenty of other dishes, tea and coffee. You’ll probably need a veteran JET to show you the way. Closes early (7pm!) and there’s only one chef; not the best bet if you’re in a hurry. Coco’s | Open until midnight with a free refill soft drink bar. Marchen Bakery, Anamizu | A bakery and coffee shop with a variety of Japanese- and Western-style pastries. Fugu Restaurant | Located on the 249 towards Nanao, this newish restaurant specializes in blowfish and other fish. You can check out the current underwater conditions thanks to a video camera set up in the water. L’estranger, Wajima (“The Orange Place”) | A restaurant with generous portions of Japanese home-style food— omuraisu, yakisoba and curry. Malga Gelato | Gelateria with locations in Noto-cho and Nonoichi. They serve handmade, local gelato and sherbet in a variety of seasonal flavors. Money Matters After you receive your Alien Registration Card and hanko, open a bank account. Your Board of Education will probably ask you to open an account with Hokkoku Bank (北國銀行) or Hokuriku Bank (北陸銀行). These are local banks and are only available in the Hokuriku (Ishikawa, Toyama, ) region. For travel and convenience, you may want to open a Japan Post bank account, as well. Having a JP account will allow you to access your money from any post office ATM in Japan. This is a great for travelers or those who want a separate savings account. You’ll need your Alien Registration Card and passport to open the account. Medical Facilities This is a partial list of Noto hospitals and clinics that offer English support service. For a complete list, visit http://wwwifie.or/jp/english/foreigners/medical/list_ippan.html Hospitals Suzu General Hospital | Suzu Noto General Hospital | Nanao Wajima Municipal Hospital | Wajima Keiju General Hospital | Nanao Ushitsu General Hospital | Ushitsu Nanao Hospital | Nanao Keiju Hatogaoka Hospital | Anamizu University Hospital | Uchinada Togi Hospital | Shika

3 Clinics Clinic Specialty Phone ClinicsShitsura Clinic | Wajima Internal Medicine Monzen Clinic | Wajima Ophthalmology 0768-42-0114 Awakura Clinic | Wajima Internal Medicine 0768-32-0018 Mochiki Medical Clinic | Noto-cho Internal Medicine, Orthopedics 0768-62-1210 Ogi Clinic | Noto-cho Internal Medicine 0768-74-0100 Owari Clinic | Anamizu Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Diabetes 0768-52-1515 Okada Medical Clinic | Shika Internal Medicine 0767-42-1921 Shika Clinic | Shika Internal Medicine 0767-32-5307 Uogishi Clinic | Nanao Internal Medicine 0767-52-1123 Okumura Clinic | Nanao Internal Medicine 0767-57-0753 Yamamoto Eye Clinic | Nanao Ophthalmology 0767-52-0250 Mibayashi Clinic | Nanao Internal Medicine 0767-54-0350 Tamura Eye Clinic | Hakui Ophthalmology 0767-22-0026 Nishimura Clinic | Hakui Physical Therapy, International Medicine 0762-31-0634 If you want to visit another doctor, look for these kanji designating specialty practices: 内科 | naika Internal medicine/general practitioner 接骨院 | sekkotsuin Osteopathy, bone setting 歯科 | shika Dentist 産婦人科 | sanfujinka OB/GYN 眼科 | ganka Optometrist/ophthalmologist Transportation Traveling in Ishikawa

Hokutetsu Bus 北鉄バス | Buses run between towns JR JR 七尾線 | The JR line between in the Noto and Kanazawa, including the Noto Airport. Nanao and Kanazawa. The train runs about once an Check the schedule online at hour; the last train leaves Kanazawa at 10:39pm and http://www.hokutetsu.co.jp/bus/noto/index.html the last train leaves Nanao at 10:33pm. Noto Tetsudo 能登鉄道 | A private railroad that runs from Nanao to Anamizu. Check the schedule on Hyperdia or Yahoo. Leaving Ishikawa

Express trains 特急列車 | The , Raichou airport, the Hokutetsu Bus company runs shuttles or and rapid express trains leave from Nanao it’s a fifteen-minute drive from downtown Anamizu. and Wakura Onsen stations. Komatsu Airport 小松空港 | Hosts international and Night buses 夜行バス | Night buses depart Nanao domestic flights. Shuttles are available from Kanazawa and Kanazawa stations for many destinations. Get Station, or it’s a 2-3 hour drive from Anamizu. more information on the Ishikawa JET Blog. M Travel | Travel agencies are often your best bet for Keihan, Hokutetsu and JR Express Buses | Depart cheap travel, and M Travel is Ishikawa JETs’ trusted from Kanazawa to Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya and Sendai. agency. The agents speak some English and are very Tickets may be booked online in Japanese only. helpful. Located across the street from Kohrinbo 109. Noto Airport 能登空港 | Two ANA flights leave daily for Tokyo Haneda Airport. Some buses run to the Cooking Foreign Foods and Imports Wai Plaza, Wajima | Jam, tea, taco kits and maple syrup Dontaku, Anamizu | Imported tea, spices, fruit 4 Yamaya, Nanao | Imported alcohol, nuts, peanut butter and more Kaldi, Kahoku AEON | Imported tea, excellent coffees, molasses, dried fruits, crackers, cheese, alcohol, peanut butter, jam, candy, Mexican/Thai/Italian and other international pre-packaged foods Online Shopping Foreign Buyer’s Club http://www.fbcusa.com/japan | The General Store imports from American once a month. Get food, toiletries, ESL materials and holiday decorations. The Meat Guy http://www.themeatguy.jp/app/en | Get your meat fix at any time. Especially useful for big holiday meals The Flying Pig http://www.theflyingpig.com | The nearest Costco requires a membership and a trip to Osaka, so the Flying Pig is your next best bet. Yoyo Market http://yoyomarket.jp | “Costo and more delivered to your door.” Yoyo Market is renowned for its service, including the ability to send a personal shopper to Ikea to pick out your furniture. Recipes and Resources Ishikawa JET Kitchen (Cooking in Japan Without a Fight) | Available for download as a PDF from the Ishikawa JET Blog. Proceeds from the sale of this ¥1,000 cookbook go to Second Harvest Japan. All Recipes http://allrecipes.com | Includes an excellent conversion chart for cups to grams, as well as thousands of adaptable recipes. Recipe-zaar http://www.recipezaar.com | Includes a conversion function for Imperial to metric, but the cups-to-grams conversion is a bit off. Just Hungry http://www.justhungry.com | Japanese recipes in English. How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman http://www.howtocookeverything.tv | Includes recipes from his book. The Joy of Cooking http://www.thejoykitchen.com/default.lasso | Many of the recipes are tricky to make in Japanese due to lack of required supplies and ingredients, but the information about ingredients and methods is stellar and most of the frying pan and pot dishes are adaptable. Cookpad (Japanese) http://cookpad.com | One of the most comprehensive Japanese-language websites for cooking, and it even has pictures.

5 Regional Guide Central Lauren Culp, Loki, Seán Kenny, Hantz Exil, Kendall Jackson Shopping Foods ● Yamaya - foreign food shop, sells (mainly) alcohol that you may (or may not) be familiar with, and other produce, such as cheese. ● 100 Mart in – upscale grocery store with many foreign foods. ● Diamond Store in Omicho Market – grocery store with some foreign foods. ● Kaldi Foods (Kahoku Aeon mall) – a foreign foods store. Sports There are two big sports warehouses in Kanazawa (maybe elsewhere in Ishikawa, too) in Apita Town. ● Sports Depo ● Sports Xebio Clothing ● Uniqlo – chain store that sells cheap, but fashionable, clothing. You can also buy work clothes here. ● Tatemachi (Kanazawa) – just off Katamachi, Zara and Adidas are the big names here, offering western sizes. ● Labro (Kanazawa) – shopping mall in Katamachi. ● Kohrinbo 109 (Kanazawa) – shopping mall at Kohrinbo, has a Uniqlo. ● Forus (Kanazawa)– shopping mall next to the station. There is a GAP here (offers western sizes) and a body shop. ● M’za (Kanazawa) – shopping mall. There is a Muji store here. ● Apita (Kanazawa) – shopping mall. ● Apita Town (Kanazawa)– shopping district (has Uniqlo and Muji). Also has a Korona World for entertainment. ● AL Plaza – a shopping center chain. They have many small clothing shops, many offering bigger sizes. ● Aeon – a large shopping mall. There are many clothing and knick-knack stores, including a Claires. They also have many restaurants and a movie theater. ● 4L (Nonoichi) – a bit expensive, but it will fit. From 2XL upwards, and includes footwear to about US12/13. 100 Yen Stores Everything in these shops is 100 yen (plus tax, so 105 yen), unless marked otherwise. You can buy many things in these shops: bike accessories; CDs; clothes; DIY tools; kitchen utensils; home furnishings; storage units; stickers; toys; decorations – you name it. Each one may have a slightly different selection. One of the largest ones, 100 Yen Plaza, is next to Apita Town (Kanazawa). In Kanazawa centre there is one behind/at the back of Kohrinbo 109. Electronics ● Yamada Denki – large electronics and computer mall. ● 100 man volt (looks like a 100 Yen shop from the outside) – like Yamada Denki. ● Kitamura Camera (for cameras) – also sells second hand gear. Second-hand / Recycle Shops There are a number of shops around Ishikawa that sell 2nd hand goods. Such goods range from high end plasma TVs, to a used pair of trainers. There is usually a description of working order, included/excluded parts, on the item, or box of the item. Make sure you know what you are buying. Sometimes it’s cheap for a very good reason, and they do sell broken things. ● 2nd Street – general store, there are quite a few in Ishikawa. Points available. ● Hard off – electronic entertainment appliances, games, dvds, music, computer things, random electronic stuff. ● House off – home furniture, appliances, toys, sports, and clothing. ● Book off – second hand books (rarely has English books). ● Comp off – computers and related hardware. Sometimes like Hard Off. ● Romanyu (浪漫遊) – general all round 2nd hand warehouse, but perhaps less furnishing. They also have a website: http://romanyu.com/ 6 Note: Try to check prices online before you buy. When it comes to electronics they can overprice things, sometimes asking for more than a successor model brand new from a retailer. Online Shopping You can opt to pay at combinis at many Japan based ordering websites (small fee applicable). Two of the biggest online retailers in Japan are Amazon and Rakuten. Rakuten ● A virtual mall with a huge collection of shops. ● Is in Japanese and English. Not all Japanese pages have been translated to English, but many browsers have a translate function that doesn’t interfere with how the forms work. ● You can order many things from Rakuten without signing up for an account. Amazon (.co.jp) ● Has an English version of the site, however some information will still be in Japanese. ● Sells a great deal of English books – most of the stock available to the Western World is available here, too. ● You can deliver Amazon products to a local Lawsons, and pay COD (Cash on Delivery) – there is a small fee for the Cash on Delivery, but it is convenient, and you can pick it up from the Lawsons at your own leisure. You may not be able to do this with Amazon Marketplace items (but you should be able to still pay through a conbini). Note about buying electronics: if the device has a screen for a menu, it’s possible that it won’t have an English menu, even though there may be an option to change languages. Sony and Panasonic cameras bought in Japan have a good chance of offering a Japanese only menu, but there may be other manufacturers that do this, too. If possible, check with the seller, or buy from Akiharaba (Tokyo) where it’s more likely to sell electronic devices with an English menu. For home comforts and products you can try: ● FBC (Foreign Buyers Club): www.fbcusa.com ● The Flying Pig: www.theflyingpig.com ● The Meat Guy: www.themeatguy.jp DVDs/Books ● Tsutaya ● Tower Records ● Beans ● Geo Furniture ● Nitori – home furnishing superstore ● Kahma Home Center ● Musashi Home Center – near Higashi Kanazawa station. ● Athena – furniture store in Tsubata. Reasonably priced and they deliver. ● Plant 3- big superstore in Tsubata off of Route 8 and the Sho exit. They have just about everything you could need for cheap. Seasonal Issues People will tell you over and over again that Japan has 4 seasons. Well, it is true. This is a general overview of things to be aware of and prepared for going into each of the seasons. Summer Summer is hot and sticky and may be quite different to what you are use to. There are also a lot of great festivals during summer. Main points to be aware of are: ● Humidity – We have it and there’s not much you can do about it. Keep a towel at work. Wear a towel round your neck when walking about, or cycling (everyone else does it). ● Mold - It’s very easy for mold to develop, air out towels, futons etc as much as possible. ● Garbage - Food, waste, rubbish etc. all go off a lot quicker than usual, and things will start growing on them. ● ‘The Rainy Season’ - Technically June is considered ‘the rainy season.’ In reality it’s pretty wet all year round. As a general rule, don’t stray too far without an umbrella. Fall

7 Much better living weather than summer and a busy time at school with events like Sports Day (undokai) and School Festival (bunkasai). Be aware of: ● Typhoons - The peak of typhoon season is September. Schools may cancel classes if there is a serious typhoon threat (you’ll probably still have to go to work though). ● Jelly Fish - Swim in the sea at your own risk! Jelly Fish are prevalent and like to sting! ● Get Ready for Winter! - Watch for warm things on sale (ie. Kotatsu, blankets, heaters) and buy! Get proper snow boots/gear. If you have a car, get your snow tires! Winter It’s cold and snowy. Keep in mind that housing/building insulation is generally pretty poor. Inside temperatures can be very close to outside temperatures! ● Clothing – Wear layers, get water proof boots/shoes, gloves, scarfs, winter jackets etc. It’s cold, use your head! ● Getting to work - Make sure you know how to get to school in the eventuality that you cannot walk or cycle. ● Winter blues - The clinical name is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) where a person with normal mental health experiences depressive symptoms in the winter months. Avoid locking yourself inside for the winter. Get out of the house, meet up with friends, have fun! Spring A lovely time of year with the cherry blossoms and all that. Watch out for:.. ● Hay Fever- Even if you don’t have allergies, you may find yourself with itchy eyes, a runny nose, or just plain congestion between Feb and the end of March. It’s likely an allergic reaction to pollen (kafunsho) from Cedar trees. ● Spring Cleaning - Now would be the time to air out your futon, bedding, apartment, everything. The weather will be nice enough (i.e. sunny, warm, and not humid) to dry and air fabrics out. Transportation Driving Most parking lots in the city are pay parking lots, during busy times they can fill up. Traffic around Kanazawa can also get very busy and stressful. Driving through downtown is not recommended if you don’t have to do it, especially around work rush hours and late Saturday night. Lane changes can potentially be tricky, so watch out for signs that indicate turn lanes (i.e. this lane is the turn lane to the station). Trains Trains are an easy and reliable way to get around Ishikawa and to the surrounding prefectures. To find trains and times, go to hyperdia.com, which has English, Japanese, and Chinese search functions or you can always check at the train station. To purchase a ticket, use the ticket machines next to the train platform entrance. There will be a map overhead listing destinations and prices. To use, insert money into the ticket machine (at least enough to cover your fare). This will cause buttons with fare amounts to light up. Press the button for the fare amount you need and it will print out a ticket. If you do not pay enough money for your ticket, you will have to pay the difference at the station where you exit the train. However, there is not reimbursement if you pay too much. (If you are comfortable with Japanese, and have an iPhone using the Japanese iTunes store, Y!ロコ乗換 is a great app for checking train times - much quicker than using the Hyperdia website.) Buses Buses are a great way to get around within the city. You have a choice of bus companies but the prices are similar. The buses cover a large area, but they do not run 24 hrs a day so check the schedule. There are schedules of buses at every stop. You can also check times and routes online on a few sites (you can do this from your phone as well). To use the bus you must pay a fare. You can use a pass card that you purchase from the bus company that you pre- load with money. You can also pay using change each time (grab a ticket when you board the bus to know your fare). Taxis Taxis are another good way to get around, especially late at night when the buses stop running. There are many different cab companies with different fares. When giving the taxi driver directions, give a neighborhood name rather than an address. Landmarks are usually helpful too (i.e. near the Tsutaya). Try to have smaller bills on you to pay, getting change for 10,000 yen in a taxi maybe difficult. Bicycles Many JETs use bikes to get all over Kanazawa and beyond. They can be very convenient, faster than walking and cheaper than a bus. It is important to register your bike with the police. Some bike shops can help you with this for a 8 small fee. Also, make sure you have a light for nighttime riding. Many areas have designated bike parking you can use freely. *Reminder* - Riding a bike drunk counts as drunk driving in Japan! Walking Walking is another great way to get around (good exercise too!). You can get almost anywhere by walking but check the distance before leaving. A good map is useful at first, especially since Japan often lacks street names. Look for neighborhood names and intersection names instead. Transportation Etiquette Trains & Buses: ● Watch out for priority seats; these are seats marked for the elderly, pregnant, and injured. ● CELL PHONES!! Don’t make calls on the train/bus. Also, set your ringer to manner mode. ● Sometimes food is not allowed, so check the signs around you. ● Don’t sit on the floor. ● Don’t be excessively loud. Safety Bicycles ● Have a light! ● Don’t drink and ride. ● Use your bell. ● Watch out for cars, even if you have the right of way. Walking ● Japan is a safe country. However, common sense is important. Stay out of dangerous looking places. ● Watch out for cars….again.

Useful Bus Kanji 金沢駅東口 Kanazawa Station – east side (Torii gate) 金沢駅西口 Kanazawa Station – west side 武蔵ヶ辻 Musashigatsuji 香林坊 Kohrinbo 片町 Katamachi 兼六園下 Kenrokuen 野々市 Nonoichi 県庁前 Kencho (Prefectural Office) 西金沢駅 Nishi Kanazawa Station 円光寺 Enkoji 平和町 Heiwamachi 柳橋 Yanagibashi 金沢大学 Kanazawa University

Restaurants Lauren’s Picks 1. -ya (Yakitori) Address: 金沢市大樋町 2-1 (Kanazawa-shi, Oohi-machi 2-1) Phone : 071-251-1456. Closed on Sundays 2. RRR Grill Kitchen Address: 金沢市鳴和町 10-3 (Kanazawa-shi, Naruwa-machi 10-3)

9 Phone: 076-218-9119. Closed on Thursdays 3. Rotti (Indian) Address: 金沢市鞍月５丁目９２ (Kanazawa-shi Kuratsuki 5-9-2 ) It’s behind Beans bookstore, across from Tokyo Interior. Loki’s Picks 1. Spice Box (スパイスボックス) (Indian) Address: 金沢市片町２－３０－８(Kanazawa, Katamachi 2-30-8) Phone: 076-234-3313 2. Ippudo Ramen (一風堂ラーメン) (Ramen) Address: 金沢市片町 1-2-3 (Kanazawa, Katamachi 1-2-3) Phone: 076-263-3331 3. Little Spice (リトルスパイス) (Thai) Address: 柿木畑畠２－１１、長福ビル１F (Kanazawa, Kakinokibatake 2-11) Phone: 076-232-0141 Seán’s Picks 1. Frangipani Bar (フランジパニ・バール) (Asian Fusion) Address: 金沢市香林坊２丁目－１－１(Kanazawa, Kohrinbo 2-1-1) (Kohrinbo 109, by the bike ramp) Phone: 076-220-5020 2. Kurage ga kumo ni naru hi (くらげが雲になる日) (Thai) Address: 金沢市長町 2-6-5 (Kanazawa-shi, Naga-machi 2-6-5) Phone: 076-231-4674 3. Sizzle Okonomiyaki (しずるお好み焼き) (Japanese Okonomiyake) Address: 金沢市片町１丁目１２－２４ (Kanazawa, Katamachi 1-12-24) (A basement along Tatemachi) Phone: 076-264-2486 Additional Resources Eye on Kanazawa – Dining (http://www.eyeon.jp/dining/cuisine.html) (English) Hot Pepper – (http://www.hotpepper.jp/A_30300/svcSA63.html) (Japanese) Events and Festivals There are many, many, many festivals throughout the year, too many to list here. For a comprehensive list of festivals throughout the year in Ishikawa check out the Festival Guide to Ishikawa on the wiki. (http://ishikawajet.wikia.com/wiki/Festival_Guide_to_Ishikawa) Local Government Resources Here is a list of government services, organized under which branch of government you should go to if you have questions about them. (Be aware though, that there may not necessarily be interpreters available at your local government office.) In general, if JETs have any problems with the issues listed below, they should go through their supervisor first, and then their PA. Most problems can be solved with the help of one of the two. Municipal Government ● Alien Card Registration and changes ● Taxes ● National Health Insurance ● Water Supply ● Waste collection ● Fire Fighting ● Disaster Prevention ● Social Welfare ● School Education ● Recycling 10 Prefectural Government ● Employment issues ● Immigration ● Police Services IFIE ● Legal Counseling ● Medical Interpretation ● Phone Interpretation Hospitals and Doctors Frequently Asked Questions Q. I’m sick. What do I do now? A. If it’s a workday, call your supervisor and tell them you are sick and can’t go to school. Go to the nearest general hospital. Hospitals and clinics take walk-ins so you don’t generally need an appointment. If you are seriously ill, consult a PA or a native Japanese person about the best place to go. It may also be a general hospital. You might want to take a Japanese person or speaker with you. Q. What cultural differences should I expect? A. Even if the doctor speaks English, be ready for some cultural differences. Doctors are not as forthcoming with information in Japan as they are in your home country. You can always ask questions though. Don’t feel bad asking questions even if they are busy. Doctors also tend to prescribe a lot of medication. If you don’t think you need it all or are unsure of what its effects are, don’t take it. Medicine in Japan is also not as strong as it is in western countries so you may find it takes longer to work than at home. Q. My school is making me do a mandatory health check. Didn’t I just do this? A. Yes, you did. And you will still probably have to do this anyway because it’s required of government employees. Chest X-Rays are taken in Japan as a test for tuberculosis . You might be able to get out of it in your first year because you just had one before you came to Japan. After your first year, you may have more issues trying to get out of the X-Ray.

For a complete list of medical facilities (general, dental and pharmacy) where English support may be available, see this link: http://www.ifie.or.jp/english/foreigners/medical/list_ippan.html

Other tidbits to know: ● For private practice doctors, check the hours ahead of time. They may only be open for 5 hours a day or only on weekdays. ● Some hospitals may give you a special card to keep track of your appointments and records. You may have to swipe your card on a machine upon your arrival and select what area of the clinic you need. ● ALWAYS have your insurance card with you. You may need it in an emergency and sometimes it counts as a form of ID. ● Sometimes medicine in Japan comes in a powder form instead of a capsule. However, if you have difficulty taking the powder, you can buy empty capsules.

11 Regional Guide Southern Presentation by Lauren Ackerman, Dani Lediard and Ryan Khan

Transportation Trains The JR (北陸本線) runs north-south through Ishikawa between Kanazawa and Fukui. Station Name City Express Trains Regular Trains Daishoji 大聖寺 加賀 -- Fukui→Komatsu or Fukui→ Kanazawa Hourly except at 7-8 am, 加賀 Thunderbird (Osaka) 3-4 pm, and 6-7 pm. Kaga-Onsen 加賀温泉 Shirasagi (Nagoya/Maibara) Iburihashi 動橋 加賀 -- Last train to Kanazawa: 22:39 (from Daishoji) 小松 -- Awazu 粟津 Last train from Kanzawa: 22:49 小松 Thunderbird (Osaka) Komatsu 小松 Shirasagi (Nagoya/Maibara) Meihou 明峰 小松 -- Terai 寺井 能美 -- Fukui→Kanazawa or Komatsu→ Kanazawa Komaiko 小舞子 白山 --

美川 白山 -- Mikawa Twice an hour. Kagakasama 加賀笠間 白山 -- 白山 Shirasagi (Nagoya, Maibara) Mattou 松任 Thunderbird (Osaka) *not all ltd exp. Last train from Kanazawa: 22:49 trains stop here.

The smaller Hokutetsu Railway Ishikawa Line connects Kanazawa to (Hakusan City). These trains run about twice an hour. Planes Southern Ishikawa and the Kanazawa region is served by Komatsu Airport. Direct flights are available to Narita, Haneda, Sapporo, Sendai, Fukuoka, Naha, Seoul, Shanghai, and Taipei. Keep an eye on station, bus, and train ads for great package deals.

Airport Access

Komatsu Station Hokuriku Mattou Station

Komatsu City Bus Hokutetsu Express Bus First Bus: 7:15 am, Last Bus: 7:15 pm Departs from Kanazawa and stops at Hokuriku Mattou station. Bus departures are scheduled based on airplane departure times. Regularly at :00, :20, and :40 from 8 am until 7 pm. First bus: 6:31 am. Last Bus: 6:38 pm Fare: 260 yen. 12 minutes. Fare: 860 yen. 34 minutes.

12 From the airport: From the Airport: Regularly at :00, :20, :40 between 9 pm Busses depart 10 to 15 minutes after every domestic arrival. and 8 pm. Last bus: 21:20.

Aiport Bus schedules online: http://www.komatsuairport.jp/komatsusypher/www/english/access/timetable_jr_k.html http://www.hokutetsu.co.jp/bus/airport/e-kanazawa1207.html

Automobiles The Hokuriku Express Way runs along the coast of Ishikawa. It is a toll road with interchanges in each city. Watch the Wiki for a Google Map with IC locations and fares from each IC to Kanazawa or Fukui. Route 8 is slower, but free. Highway Buses A cheap way to get to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, or Nagoya is via highway bus. Several highway bus companies operate out of Kanazawa Station. Willer Express even has some overnight highway buses that stop at interchanges in Kaga- Onsen and Komatsu and allows you to book in English. (http://willerexpress.com/bus/pc/3/top/index) Cheap seats start at about 4,500 one way to Tokyo, while comfortable seats can get up to about 8,500. Local Buses Kanazawa city Hokutetsu buses do go as far south as Hakusan City. Komatsu City Buses are inconvenient for getting anywhere but the airport. The CAN BUS in Kaga is an awesome way to get to interesting sights in Awazu and Kaga. There are two loops—the ocean route and the mountain route. Both start at Kaga Onsen Station. For 1,000 yen, you can ride to as many museums and parks as you can fit in a day.

Garbage Basics You should have received a poster about how to sort your trash and when to put it out for collection. If you have not received a copy in English and want one, contact your CIR. Every town has different sorting and collection policies, so be sure to check this guide against your posters.

Burnable 燃えるゴミ Non-Burnable 燃えないゴミ Recyclables (Monthly)

Weekly. Use clear bags. 1. Plastic. Weekly. Use clear bags. 1. Paper: stack and tie up into Wrappers, PET bottle caps and labels, bundles. Rinse and flatten juice Kitchen waste, cloth, shoes, soiled plastic bags, pen bodies, etc. Look for packs. Seperate corrugated plastic or paper, wax paper, CDs, cardboard. toothbrushes, sponges, garden waste, プラ diapers 2. PET bottles: rinse and remove 2. Landfill: Broken plates, broken labels and caps. glass, razors (mark bag with キケン） 3. Aluminium Cans: rinse. 3. Metals/Crush: small appliances, things made of metal and plastic 4. Glass: Rinse and dispose of metal caps or jar lids separately. 4. Dangerous items: batteries, fluorescent lightbulbs

Kaga Garbage Info: http://www.city.kaga.ishikawa.jp/eng/gomi/gomi.html Komatsu:: http://www.city.komatsu.lg.jp/english/garbage.html Hakusan City:: http://www.city.hakusan.lg.jp/mpsdata/web/211/gomibenricho.pdf (Japanese)

13 Online Shopping Resources Department stores in Southern Ishikawa are carrying more and more foods from abroad. However, if you want to buy in bulk (or if there’s just something you can’t find) check out these resources. Foreign Buyer’s Club: The Deli and Learning Center ships quickly from Kobe. A bit pricey, but good for dry foods and classroom supplies. They also sell holiday foods! The Meat Guy: Delivers meat, gourmet cheese, condiments, and frozen foods cold to your home. Southern Ishikawa fails hard at cheese, so keep this site bookmarked! Flying Pig: An online Costco that delivers to your door. Want 4kg of Quaker Oats for 1,800 yen? Great for dry foods, frozen foods, home supplies, and spices.

Southern Ishikawa Hazards 1. Drivers. Drive, bike, and walk defensively at all times. Red lights and turn signals are just idle suggestions to drivers here. If there is any collision, drivers should assist you and exchange information; however, some drivers panic when foreigners are involved. If you are hit while walking or biking, hit and runs are not unlikely. If you get in a traffic accident, expect disproportionate reactions. 2. Winter. Winters here are not that cold, but they are wet. The amount and variety of precipitation is stunning. Lack of insulation makes it difficult to stay warm inside. Southern Ishikawa is spread out, making JETs prone to isolation that further exacerbates weather-related seasonal blues. Check in on your fellow JETs during the winter months. 3. Resident taxes. These are due in June and can get really expensive--sometimes upwards of 200,000 yen! Ask your supervisor to get you an estimate. Keep this in mind when making your budgets.

Hakusan City 白山市 History Hakusan City is a new entity, so as a whole it doesn’t have the same kind of historical identity as Komatsu or Kaga. Each of the seven towns that comprise Hakusan City have their own traditions, history, and notable sights. Hakusan City was created in 2005 out of merger of Mattou with seven outlying towns and villages. Historically, this area has been the breadbasket of Ishikawa and continues to be a farming powerhouse today. It’s one of the fastest growing and urbanizing areas in the prefecture. Things to Do . Mountain climbing | The foothills of Hakusan are full of hiking trails, some harder than others. In the fall, there are leisurely walks along the Super Rindou that are great for taking in the autumn color. Hakusan itself is open for climbing until mid-October. The view from the summit has be experienced to be believed. You can stay the night at Murodo near the top if you don’t want to do the whole climb in a day. The trail is mostly uneven stone stairs. Ask your fellow JETs about their Hakusan shortcut trail horror stories. . Super Rindou Drive | A scenic highway that runs through the mountains from Hakusan City to the picturesque thatched-roof village of Shirakawa-go in Gifu. Expect to see waterfalls, onsen, and monkeys along the way! Great for fall color in October. Toll road. Closed from mid November to early June. . Haiku Museum | Right in front of Matto Station. Honors the female haiku poet ,Chiyo, who was born in Matto in 1703. . Shirayama Hime Shrine | The holiest shrine in the prefecture, this shrine is the head of 3,000 shrines of the same sect around the country. You can take the train and finish the trip with a walk of about 30 minutes . Sky Shishiku | Sky Shishiku is a beautiful mountain-top ski area/recreation park in Tsurugi. You can take the train to Tsurugi town and then the cable car to the top of the mountain. In the summer you can rent small camp houses for the night and have a fun BBQ. The mountain also features a museum about shishi, the mythical lion-dragon that guards shrines. 14 . Wakamiya Shrine | The biggest shrine in Matto. Has a beautiful weeping cherry tree that's spectacular in spring. It's right next to Wakamiya Park. The park has lots of playground equipment, a small sumo ring, and a big field and band shell for playing. They also host local sumo matches and a festival! . CCZ Beach | Beautiful family beach only a 5 minute taxi ride from Matto Station. Has an excellent bath house right on the beach as well as a little fish market/omiyage store/shopping mall. . Tokumitsu Beach |Showers are available, as are restrooms. There is a large park with barbeque facilities and an onsen public bath. Lifeguards are on duty from mid-July to mid-August. . Kaga Clan Tagawa House | Located near Nomi. Old home of a lord of 1,000 goku of rice. Includes a museum. Medical Care and Fitness A. Oonori Dental Clinic | Technically in Kanazawa, near Nishi-Kanazawa station. One of the best dental clinics in Ishikawa. The dentist there speaks good English, and his wife (the head nurse) has lived abroad is is very English proficient. 076-244-6111 B. Hakusan Public Hospital | It’s on the right side of Route 8 as you head towards Komatsu, near City Hall and the Cultural Park. Fast service, friendly staff, and English friendly if not English proficient. Recommended. Warning: Not open on weekends. C. Aim Face Fitness | A fitness center with weights and cardio equipment. Located in central Mattou. Really snazzy and open until 11 pm. 9,400 yen for an all-hours membership, plus an entrance fee (watch for campaigns that reduce this). Shopping and Other Useful Things D. Hakusan International Salon | Located near Matto-eki, the Salon offers a coffee house, classrooms, internet for stranded gaijin, as well as Japanese and cultural lessons. If you need help with anything, the nice ladies who work there (and speak good English) will help you. 〒924-0872 TEL: 076-274-3371 2/F Hakusan City Matto Bunka Kaikan 2 Furushiro-machi, Hakusan, Ishikawa Homepage: http://www.asagaotv.ne.jp/~misalon/ Daily 9:00-18:00 (closed Mondays) E. AEON Mattou | Large department store. The grocery is open from 9 am to 11 pm, and departments have shorter hours. F. APITA | Another large department store. There is a wide variety of clothing stores here. The grocery is open from 10 to 9 pm. Departments may have shorter hours. G. Plant 3 | A huge all-in-one store in Kawakita. Their grocery has imported foods and has been known to stock pumpkins at Halloween! Prices are very low. Open from 9 am to 10 pm. Visible from Route 8. H. Super Home Center Yamakishi | Another huge store in Kawakita. Large Home Center with groceries, alcohol, clothes, seasonal items, hardware, tools, etc. Open until 10. I. Yamaya | A newcomer to Mattou, near APITA on Route 8. They sell liquor and a decent amount of imported foods, especially dry and canned foods. J. Osakaya | A local grocery. The deli foods and produce are reportedly very good quality. Open until 9 pm. K. Marue | A chain grocery with locations everywhere. Some imported food, good produce and dairy selections (if pricey). L. Valor | A giant supermarket, usually with a pharmacy nearby. Relatively inexpensive produce and good deals on company brands. M. Tokyo Store | Located in Green Bell. An gourmet grocery store. A little pricey, but they often carry fresh herbs, cheeses, good wine, and food for special diets. N. K’s Denki | Home electronics and appliances. Near AEON.

15

Unlabeled pins are restaurants or interesting sites. See the Hakusan Google Map online for more info. Eating and Drinking Mattou and Hakusan are full of restaurants, from chains to small family-run izakaya. It would be impossible to list them all! Here are some recommendations. Takasago Saryo | In Yasuda-machi, downtown Mattou. A lovely set-menu restaurant located in a remodeled sake brewery. The menu changes every month. Reservations are recommended. Price is around 3000 yen. L’Orso | Italian restaurant, highly recommended by previous JETs. Near Mattou City Hall. Daikou and Taxi Numbers

Taxi Company Phone Number Daikou Phone Number

株式会社大日タクシー 0761-95-5138 Asagao Daikou 076-248-6643

中央タクシー株式会社 076-274-4111 Clean Daikou 0120-846540

つかさ交通 0761-92-4363 Happy E Unten Daikou 076-274-5830

鶴来駅前タクシー案内所 0761-92-0084

白山観光交通株式会社 0761-95-5704

美川タクシー駅前営業所 076-278-2121

16 Komatsu 小松 History The name "Komatsu" only began to appear in historical records when one of the legends of its origin surfaced during the Heian period. It is said that Kazan, an ex-emperor, planted a pine sapling in this area during his travels around the Hokuriku region. The area where the tree grew came to be called "sono no komatsubara" meaning "small-pine field with gardens". According to the legend, this name was later shortened to "Komatsu". Another theory is that the city of Komatsu got its name from Komatsu Temple which was built by Minister Taira no Shigemori and named "Komatsudono". The temple existed from 1167 in the Heian peroid to the beginning of the Tensho period (1573-1592). The formation of the present day urban area began with the construction of Komatsu Castle. Maeda Toshitsune, the third feudal lord of the Kaga clan, retired here in 1639 bringing stability to the area. He put domestic affairs in order and promoted industry. Komatsu developed rapidly, especially in the arts. Toshitsune called for many master craftsmen to reconstruct as well as build new temples and shrines. He promoted the industrial arts, as well as the art of tea ceremony and Noh theatre (classical Japanese musical theatre). Textiles and silk production were boosted as well as the production of Kutani pottery, roof tiles, and tatami. The construction of canals and controlling the rivers systems allowed for irrigation of the fields. The area soon attracted agriculture as its main form of industry. In 1889, when the system of towns and villages was adopted in Japan, Komatsu town was born. Things to See and Do

. Komatsu Castle Ruins and Rojo Park 芦城公園| Lord Maeda Toshitsune’s retirement castle. The castle was torn down during the Meiji Restoration, but a lone parapet remains by the Komatsu High School tennis courts. Rojo Park is a reconstructed castle garden. The cherry blossom viewing in the spring is some of the best in the prefecture, as the park has over a hundred flowering trees. . Ataka no Seki Barrier Ruins 安宅のせき| The setting of Kanjincho, a famous kabuki play based on historical events. The story takes place in 1187, just after the Battle of Heike. Minamoto Yoshitsune is fleeing his brother, hoping to travel to Touhoku and join another clan. However, local noble Togashi Saemon spots him and his retainer, Benkei, along the road. Benkei does his best to keep their identities secret, and Saemon is moved by his devotion and lets them pass. Now, there is also a shrine at the site. It’s lovely at sunset. . Natadera 那谷寺| On the border of Awazu and Kaga, this temple and its grounds are over 1300 years old. The temple itself is perched on a hill, so the view is beautiful. Not to be missed in autumn when the leaves turn! Accessible by the CAN Bus out of Kaga Onsen station. . Lake Kiba 木場潟公園| Between Komatsu and Awazu, this lake is a great place to go for outdoor activities like running, kayaking, or playing ball sports. You can rent a boat from April to October for a small charge, and ball rentals are free. The view of Hakusan is the subject of many paintings and photographs. Sakura bloom around the lake in spring. Medical Care and Fitness

A. Komatsu Municipal Hospital (小松市民病院）Komatsu’s biggest hospital. New patients (non-emergency) need to come in on a weekday morning to register. B. Morita Hospital（森田病院）Near AL Plaza. Good for GPs, not great for emergencies. C. Shintani Clinic（しんたに 医院）The doctor here speaks very good English. On the 365 on the way to Yamada Denki. D. Yasui Dental （安井デンタル）Two branches, one near the station and one near the river. The dentist at the station branch knows some English. E. Touyou Sports Club (東洋スポーツ BIG-S): Fancy athletic club with a pool, state of the art gym, personal trainers, bath, and classes. Strictly enforced no tattoo policy. Shopping and Other Useful Things F. Komatsu International Association (KIA) | This non-profit provides language and culture classes to both Japanese and foreign residents. They have almost every Japanese-learning textbook known to man and their

17 individual lesson rates are the best in the prefecture at 1,000 yen an hour. They also do eikaiwa, tea ceremony, and holiday parties. G. AL Plaza | A department store at the intersection of the 305 and 360. In addition to all the normal department store things they also have a discount produce store. Open 10 am to 8pm (departments) and 10 am to 9 pm (groceries). H. Nitori | A new arrival in Komatsu. This is an inexpensive furniture and interior store with a good kitchen and home organization section. Open 10 to 8. I. AEON | A large department store. The grocery store is open 24 hours. J. Tokyo Store | Gourmet grocery. This is where to go to get fresh herbs and cheeses. Open from 10 am to 11 pm. K. Yamaya | Liquor and some imported foods like curry packets, spices, canned food, and pasta. L. Second Street | Used clothing and home goods stores. Sometimes you can find good deals on furniture and home electronics. M. Don Quixote | Novelty and home store with some foreign food. Great for gifts and bargains. N. Kahma 21 | Large home and garden center. They also sell bicycles and furniture. O. Yamada Denki | Electronics and home appliance store. P. Post Office | The ATM is open from 8:00 to 21:00. The basic post window (where you reclaim missed packages) is open from 8:00 to 20:30. The regular post window (for sending things overseas) is open until 19:00. Hours are reduced on weekends. Only the basic window is open Sundays. Q. Albis | A large grocery store. It shares a parking lot with a pharmacy, clothing shop, shoe shop, and nice 100 yen store.

Note: Unlabeled pins are other grocery stores and Hokkoku Bank branches.

18 Eating and Drinking The people of Komatsu take food very seriously. There are tons of restaurants, and on Friday and Saturday nights, they are often all packed full. Ishikawa is famous for fresh, delicious fish dishes, and Komatsu is famous for udon. Look for a Google Map of restaurants on the Wiki soon! . Yaemon: Izakaya with locally sourced food. Their seasonal specialties and fish dishes are amazing. Take a left from the station and walk a block. . Sen Nen no Utage: Chain izakaya with fancy drinks and fried things. Right across from the station, on the 6th floor. . Tsuruto: Komatsu udon at . Beef udon and the winter yuzu udon are particularly tasty. In the station building. . M Line: Western food and bar. The owners speak English. In the shopping arcade by the station. . Korean Dining Sho: Korean food, including Korean BBQ. Try their toppogi and ishiyaki bibimbap. Two blocks into the street by the station with the Hokkoku Bank. . Switch: Local, seasonal Western food--very West Coast foodie. Great lunch set, homemade desserts. Behind City Hall. . Shanghai Rougai: Chinese food with a beautiful interior. They have a large tea selection and their lunch set is one of the best around. On the 305 between AL Plaza and AEON. . Dotonburi: Grill your own okonomiyaki! They have a variety of fillings. On the 305 toward Kanazawa, almost in Nomi. . Sushiro and Kurazushi: 105 yen conveyor belt sushi. Better than it sounds and the people-watching is superb. Both on the 305 towards Kaga. . S Line: Thai and Indonesian. The owner speaks English and loves to chat with ALTs. Great green curry and chai tea! . Spice Kingdom: A chain Indian restaurant with a large menu. Vegetarian friendly and reasonably priced. At the Komatsu IC. . Aperetif: Wine bar with a half-priced happy hour from 6 to 8. No cover. Across from the station (red awning). . Full Moon Cafe: Eclectic bar with strong drinks. No cover for foreigners and women. . Evergreen: Bar. No cover for foreigners. In the shopping arcade, near Sho. . Flora: Traditional coffee shop with wifi. All desserts are made in-house. Near City Hall. . Biron: Bakery and patisserie. They have a small cafe area that’s nice for studying. Near Albis, toward the airport on the 305. Taxi and Daikou

Taxi Company Phone Daikou Phone

第一交通株式会社小松営業所 0761-21-8111 いさり代行 0120-243499

協和タクシー株式会社 0761-23-2233 パンダ 0761-21-5678

加賀タクシー株式会社小松営業所 0120-011-166 小松代行 0120-240113

株式会社瀬領タクシー 0761-46-1139 平成代行センター 0120-412022

小松タクシー株式会社 0120-870-887 いでゆ代行 0120-245380

*石川交通株式会社小松営業所 0761-22-2811 あわづ代行 0120-434588

19 Kaga 加賀 History Kaga’s historical records go back to the 15th century, when Buddhist monks set up a religious government; as their power grew, so did the power of the region. Kaga was invaded in 1580, and after a period of turbulence, was taken over by Maeda Toshiie, a retainer of Oda Nobunga. When Japan came under the control of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603, Maeda’s vast territorial holdings were recognized, and Kaga was considered the wealthiest province in Japan. In Maeda Toshiie’s time the Kaga area grew one million ‘koku’ of rice every year (one koku is a year’s supply of rice for one person). Kaga is still famous for good rice today, and each September the ‘Jumangoku’ (100,000 bushels) festival takes place in Daishoji. In 1872 when the feudal provinces were abolished and modern prefectures established, the Kaga region was the 3rd most populous area in Japan after Tokyo and Osaka. The modern city was first incorporated in 1958, and then expanded in 2005, through a merger with the town of Yamanaka. Things to See and Do The Kaga area is full of museums, onsen, parks, and cultural activities. Kaga is very spread out, but the CAN Bus (1,000 yen for a day pass) from Kaga Onsen Station goes in a loop through all of Kaga’s famous attractions. . Onsen | Kaga is famous all over Japan for its hot springs. Yamashiro town, Yamanaka town, and Katayamazu town all have onsen resorts. If you don’t want to drop ichiman or more to stay the night, many of them sell part- day passes for about 1,000 yen. . Kaga Fruit Land | Enjoy year-round fruit picking — strawberries, grapes, blueberries, etc. Offers an impressive ‘tabe-hodae’ – all you can pick (and eat) fruit for ˇ1000. Accessible via CAN Bus. http://www.furulan.com/ . Rabbit Park Urushigura| You can pet and feed the rabbits that run free in this slightly strange location, and fight the kids for the once-hourly rabbit cuddle session. The rabbit-themed gift shop has to be seen to be believed. Follow signs for Shioya Port from Daishoji. The museum is a large building on the left. . Kitamae-bune no Sato Museum | A museum featuring Kitamae ships — trading ships that voyaged to ports all over Japan. Look for the large walled building in the centre of . Car parking is available opposite. . Nippon Origami Museum | Kanomachi. The largest origami museum in the world, with over 100,000 origami items including a paper crane smaller than the tip of a single hair. On Route 8, a 5-minute drive from Kagaonsen train station. Look for the enormous porcelain pot. . Daishoji Temple District | Daishoji has six major temples. Among the best are Jisshoin Temple – a Zen temple named for Maeda Toshiharu in 1660 and the resting place for generations of the Maeda Clan – and Zenshoji Temple, where you can see the famous 500 statues of Buddha, donated by Daishoji warriors and villagers. Take a left from Daishoji station and follow signs for the Temple District. . Yu no Kuni no Mori Craft Village | Think of it like a theme park for Ishikawa traditional crafts. Entrance is 530 yen, and then you can visit shops where craft specialists will teach you how to make lacquerware, pottery, paper, and blown glass (for some extra cash). The artists are always excited to see people from other countries taking an interest in their crafts. It’s also a great place to shop for gifts and souvenirs. On the CAN Bus line, near Natadera. . Cape Kasa | Hashidate. Follow the trail to a lighthouse standing on an impressive sandstone cliff top. A great place to watch the sun go down over the Sea of Japan. . Shioya and Katano Beaches | These beaches are both part of the same long stretch of sand. A great place to have barbeques in the summer and cool off in the Sea of Japan. The waves are good for year-round surfing and body-boarding. Take advantage of them before the jellyfish arrive in mid-August. . Korogi Bridge and Kakusenkei Gorge | Yamanaka. There is a one-kilometer-long path beside the mountain stream, from which you can enjoy all of Kaga’s four seasons. The Korogi Bridge is made entirely of Japanese cypress and looks beautiful in the fall. Medical Care A. Kaga City Public Hospital (Kaga Shimin Byouin) | A large general hospital. Has an ER. B. Kudo General Hospital (Kudo Byouin) | Listed as English-competent by IFIE. Phone: 0761-73-3312. Closed on weekends.

20 C. Hashimoto Clinic | General Practicioner. The doctor here speaks English. Phone: 0761-72-1150 Shopping and Other Useful Things D. AEON Kaga | Kamikawasaki-machi. A large department store. The grocery is open 24 hours and most departments are open until 10 at night. E. Abio City (AL Plaza) | Beside Kaga-Onsen Station. A large department store, full of omiyage and clothing shops. Less functional than AEON. Includes a Heiwaido grocery shop. F. Youth | Daishoji. A very reasonably-priced, large supermarket owned by Valor group. Great deals, especially on Valor brands. G. Marue | Multiple locations. A grocery store with good produce and some imports. H. Yamada Denki | A home electronics store. North along Route 8 from AEON. I. Mandaishoten | This amazing second hand store is worth a visit just to see their range of second hand clothes, shoes, CDs, vinyl, LPs,action figures and manga. A collector’s paradise. Located off Route 8 just after the Jusco turn- off. J. K’s Denki | Another home electronics store. Located by the Abio City in Kaga Onsen. K. Musashi Home / Gardening Center | For any hardware or home gardening supplies. Located across the parking lot from AEON.

Eating and Drinking . Café Jiri, Daishoji | Extremely delicious cakes and friendly staff. Banana juice recommended. One block north of Kaga City Hall, or take a right from Daishoji train station and walk for 5 minutes. . La Vive, Katayamazu | A good Italian restaurant, situated in a block of 3 restaurants. Gets busy at the weekends. Follow the road going up the hill from Katayamazu foot spa. The block of restaurants with La Vive is just before the junction at the top of the hill, on the right. . Paddock, Yamashiro | Let the incredibly friendly Mama-san welcome you with to the newly remodeled Paddock izakaya-style bar. Follow signs for Yamashiro from Route 8. Paddock is on the right. . Portico Tea House, Iburihashi | A Buckingham Palace-style tea shop with great homemade cakes, a dazzling range of teas and scones my granny would be proud of. 10 minutes walk from Iburihashi train station. Take a left at the post office and continue until the bridge. Cross the bridge, take a right on to the main road and then take the first left. . Side Burger | Shirokawa, Iburihashi. Enjoy some of the best burgers in Japan in an traditional Japanese food like oyakodon. American-style burger joint. You can also get your hair cut upstairs at Side Hair while you wait.

21 Opposite Iburihashi train station, next to the post office. If you are traveling North from Daishoji, Side Burger is next left after the golf practice area on Route 8. If you are traveling South, Side Burger is a sharp right after you go over a small hill, not long after the Shell Petrol Station. . Spice | Daishoji. Very tasty South-East Asian food. Staff is incredibly friendly and can speak some English. An English menu is available, and it’s always worth asking about the day’s specials.Continue straight down the road from Daishoji station. Go past Lawson’s and Hokkoku bank. Spice is the first right after the bridge. . Takoyaki takeaway “Tsuboya”| Katayamazu The best takoyaki (octopus balls) in Ishikawa, according to the locals. Next to Katayamazu foot onsen. *Drinking in Kaga is mostly limited to izakayas unless you want to try one of the many hostess/karaoke bars (just be willing to pay bizarre fees). There are bars in Yamanaka / Yamashiro, but you’d need to use a taxi or daiko.

Taxi and Daikou

Taxi Company Phone Daikou Company Phone

有限会社石川相互タクシー 0120-740-539 パンダ 0120-754678

第一交通株式会社大聖寺営業所 0761-73-0111 かえる代行運転 0120-764717

第一交通株式会社山代営業所 0761-76-0111 エビス代行運転 0120-734115

第一交通株式会社山中営業所 0761-78-1543 白山代行 0120-742880

大聖寺第一交通株式会社 0761-73-1113 ひかり代行 0120-768907

大交日の出タクシー株式会社 0761-76-0033 やましろ代行 0761-77-7084

石川交通株式会社 0761-76-3131 トマト代行 0761-72-2573

キャブステーション北陸 0761-77-0870 かが代行 0761-73-2312

介護タクシーつばさ 0120-740-283 東京代行 0120-198770

22

Driving Presentation by Nathan Rathbun and Dani Lediard

Driving Basics International Driving Permit . Valid for 365 days starting on the day you entered Japan or until the expiry date stamped on the IDP, whichever one comes first, regardless of however many new IDPs you get/renew. Unless you leave Japan for a full three full months, an IDP cannot be renewed. . If you are drive, you must always have the permit with you, along with your home country license . Get a Japanese Driver’s License as soon as you can. Yellow Plate (K-sha) vs. White Plate (futsuu-sha) Yellow Plate . Smaller; most white plate cars can seat up to 4 Japanese people comfortably . Shaken (mandatory car inspection fee) is cheaper, about half of a white plate car (60,000-10,000 yen) . Car tax is cheaper (about 7000 yen); highway tolls are sometimes a little bit cheaper . Price of car itself may be equivalent to that of a white plate car sometimes White Plate . Bigger, more spacious, more powerful engine (less risk of engine blowing up on long drives) . Car tax is more expensive (from 30000-50000 yen), highway tolls are a little bit more expensive . Shaken is more expensive (between 80,000 and 200,000 yen) Obtaining a Car Paperwork required to buy from a car dealership Paperwork Where to obtain Residence card 在留カード Mailed to you Certified personal seal 印鑑 Work supervisor Personal seal certificate 印鑑証明書 City Hall Proof of Residence Form 住民票 City Hall Proof of Parking (white plate cars only) Landlord/Realty company 車庫証明書 Find the car you want to buy and discuss price, shaken expiration date, and general condition of the car. If you buy it from a dealer, the dealer will do most of the paperwork for you. However, if you buy it privately, you and the previous owner will usually be responsible for handling all of the paperwork below, in addition to the above.

Paperwork required to buy from a private owner In addition to everything listed above to buy from a dealer you will also need: Paperwork Where to obtain Deed of Transfer 譲渡証明書 Previous owner Personal Seal Certificate of previous owner 印鑑証明書 Previous owner Residence Card or Proof of Residence form of previous owner Previous owner 在留カード or 住民票 Letter of Attorney 委任状 Previous owner Insurance Certificate 自賠責保険書 Previous owner Shaken Inspection Certificate 車検証 Previous owner Proof of Payment of Automobile Tax 自動車税納付証明書 Previous owner

1. Both the buyer and seller must have a registered personal seal. If your hanko has not been registered, you must get a Hanko Registration Certificate (inkan-shoumeisho) from the City Hall. You will also need a Proof of Residence (jyuuminhyo) from City Hall as well. To get this, however, you need your Hanko Registration Certificate and your Residence Card, so you will have to make a separate trip back to City Hall for the Proof of Residence.

23 2. Buy a Letter of Attorney (i-nin-jyo). You can purchase this at the Ishikawa Land Transportation Bureau (Ishikawa- ken-riku-un-shi-kyoku). This form must be filled out by the car's owner to commission you to complete the procedures. Also, at this place, you must purchase a Transfer Certificate (jyoto-shomeisho) and the car's owner must fill it out. 3. The owner of the car should supply you with the Automobile Inspection Certificate (shakensho) and the compulsory Liability Insurance Certificate (jidosha-songai-baisho-senkinin-hoken-shomeisho). 4. You also must have a Parking Certificate (shako-shomeisho or jidosha-hokan-basho-shomeisho) to prove that you have a parking space. This form is available at your local police station. The parking form is included in the Transfer Certificate. You must also include two maps (drawn or photocopied) - one showing your house or apartment and the surrounding area and the other of your parking space including the dimensions of the parking space. If you live in an apartment, your landlord can prepare these papers for a small fee. These papers must then be taken to the local police station. They will mail you the final certificate. 5. You must submit all of the above documents when applying for a change of ownership. You will also have to complete a registration application (iten-toroku-shinseisho) purchased from the Transportation Bureau's revenue stamp shop and buy a 500 yen revenue stamp (in-shi) for the registration fee. 6. After the transfer of ownership is approved, you are required to apply for the payment of Automobile Tax (jidosha- zei) at a local taxation office. Leasing a Car Leasing a car can be a cheaper and less hassling alternative to buying a car. A pro is that you don't have to worry about selling the car when your lease is up. Make sure you are clear on the conditions of your agreement with the car owner. You might be completely or partially responsible for fixing the car if anything goes wrong. You may also be responsible for any damage to the car before turning it in. Do compare how much it costs to lease a car with how much it would cost to buy it. Often leases are a worse deal in the long run. You will still be responsible for getting your own car insurance. Insurance . Under Japanese law, all registered vehicles must be covered by Compulsory Automobile Liability Insurance (CALI). . There are many different optional automobile insurance policies out there. . Collision coverage pays to repair damage to your vehicle caused by a crash. In addition to the standard types of insurance, comprehensive coverage will also pay for damage to your vehicle if it's vandalized or stolen, etc. Both comprehensive and collision coverage generally require you to pay an excess (sometimes known as a ‘deductible’) before you can claim any money. The amount of the excess is decided at the time of insuring the vehicle, and is typically 20,000 yen, 50,000 yen, etc. The point to remember is that the lower the excess you choose, the higher the premium will be. Furthermore, different policies will specify the particular circumstances under which coverage is available. . Liability coverage provides a fixed amount of coverage for damages that an insured becomes legally liable to pay due to an accident or other negligence. For example, if the insured party drives into a telephone pole, liability coverage will pay to repair damage caused to the pole. The insured party may also be liable for other expenses related to damaging the telephone pole, such as loss of service claims (by the telephone company). . Collision coverage provides coverage to repair or replace the insured party’s vehicle if it becomes involved in an accident. This coverage is designed to provide payment to repair the damaged vehicle, or replace it according to the conditions of the insurance policy. An excess usually applies to this. . Here are some of the different kinds of insurance there are: Bodily Injury Compensation/Coverage, Property Damage Insurance, Protection for the policy holder while driving another vehicle, Own accident insurance coverage, Uninsured automobile insurance coverage, Passenger personal accident coverage, and more. . For more information, go to this website: http://www.japaninsurance.net/ . For some JETs, they may be able to apply for car insurance from their town hall or city hall. This insurance tends to be fairly thorough in its coverage and is very cheap (about 30000-40000 yen a year). However, if you are involved in an accident, you are expected to do a lot of the mediation on your own. If you do not speak Japanese or do have a supervisor who is extremely willing to help you in case of an accident, you may find yourself floundering in Japanese insurance proceedings. If you go with coverage from an insurance company (will usually cost about 100000 yen a year), they will generally mediate for you and do all the necessary paperwork. Some will also provide you the same services that JAF membership (the Japanese AAA) provides. . Be aware that in some cases, it is not practical to sign up for comprehensive collision insurance. In some cases, if you use your insurance to pay for damage to your vehicle in a collision, the price of your insurance will increase to more than the amount you would have paid to repair your vehicle privately. Make sure to talk this over with an insurance agent when you are discussing policy plans.

24 Converting your IDP to a Japanese Driver’s License Translate your home country license 1. Send a copy of your license, a copy of your Residence Card, the fee of ¥3000 (plus an additional fee of 380 yen) to the Japanese Automobile Federation (JAF) branch office in Kanazawa (〒921-8062 4-8 Shinbohon Kanazawa-shi Ishikawa-ken [〒921-8062 石川県金沢市新保本 4 丁目 8]) 2. You should get your translation back within a week by registered mail. 3. Make sure that your license has a section that designates when your license was issued. The office here needs to know when your license was issued. If it was renewed in the three months before you came to Japan, make sure you have some proof that your license was issued before the past three months, otherwise, they will consider you a new driver, and you will not be able to convert your license, but will have to apply for a new license. If you bring a separate form proving the date of issuance of your license from your home country, make sure to have someone translate it for you (you should be able to get away with an amateur translation of this form). 4. For more information, go to http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/switch.htm. Go to the licensing center 運転免許センター Unten Menkyo Center, 金沢市東蚊爪町２丁目１番地 〒920-0209 First appointment Everyone has to make this first appointment. It can only be scheduled at 1 p.m. from Monday to Friday. They can only process two conversions a day, so make sure you start the process early (April or May is preferable). To make an appointment, call the driving center at 076-238-5901 and ask for “gaikoku menkyo no kirikae”. You will be transferred to the appropriate department. Tell the clerk when you want to make an appointment (yoyaku) and if the date is open, he will ask for your name and for your country of origin. Then he may tell you what documents you need to bring. If you’re uncomfortable with this process in Japanese, recruit a Japanese supervisor or friend to help you. Necessary items . Passport . International . Residence Card . You should also try to bring a translator with you . Home country driver’s license if you don’t speak Japanese well. . JAF translation of your driver’s license When you get to the center head up the stairs to the second floor, window 45; it will open promptly at 1 p.m. When your name is called, bring the documents to the man at the window, and he will give you a paper with a list of statements for you to agree to and sign. If your passport is fairly new, you may be asked to bring back your past passports. After all of your documents have been processed, you will be asked to wait until about 2:30 p.m., when they will call you again, give back your documents, and ask you to make the second appointment. Second appointment If you are from a country that has to take the practical test: The 2nd appointment will have to be at 1 p.m. as well, and you need to bring the same documents from the 1st appointment, plus a photo of yourself (3 cm x 2.4 cm) taken in the last six months (you can take this on the 1st floor of the driving center), and money (about ¥6000). Go again to window 45, and your documents will be processed. You will have to fill out some forms with your name and address, and sign a form about your health. After that, you will have to go to the cashier window and pay 4050 yen. After paying, go back to window 45, and you will be asked to wait. You will eventually be called to take the written exam (very simple; just review road signs and road rules in advance), the eye exam (you have to tell what direction the open side of the “C” is facing, and you have to say the colors of the traffic light), and the practical exam. If you pass everything, they will send you down to the first floor and you will wait until about 3:15 p.m. when they will 1) call you to make two PIN numbers at an ATM-like machine, 2) take your picture for the license, 3) ask you to pay a fee (¥2100) at another window, and 4) ask you to wait a final 10 minutes for your license to be printed. You should receive the license itself around 3:30 p.m.

If you come from a country that does not need to take the practical exam: The 2nd appointment will have to be at 2 p.m. you need to bring the same documents from the 1st appointment, plus a photo of yourself (3 cm x 2.4 cm) taken in the last six months (you can take this on the 1st floor of the driving center), and money (about ¥5000). Go again to window 45, and your documents will be processed. You will have to fill out some forms with your name and address, and sign a form about your health. After that, you will have to go to the cashier window and pay an initial ¥2400. After paying, go back to window 45, and you will be asked to wait. You will eventually be called to take the eye exam (you have to tell what direction the open side of the “C” is facing, and you have to say the colors of the traffic light). After that, they will send you down to the first floor and you will wait until about 3:15 p.m. when they will 1) call you to make two PIN numbers at an ATM-like machine, 2) take your picture for

25 the license, 3) ask you to pay a fee (around 2100 yen) at another window, and 4) ask you to wait a final 10 minutes for your license to be printed. You should receive the license itself around 3:30 p.m. These are the countries that do not have to take the practical: Australia Luxembourg Austria Germany Netherlands Canada Iceland New Zealand Sweden Denmark Ireland Norway Switzerland Findland Itlay Portugal United Kingdom

Driving School (安全運転センターAnzen Unten Center) 076-237-2735 Next to the test center is a driving school. It is a good idea to take at least one lesson, preferably two to three lessons. The teachers from the school are also some of the exam proctors. Usually people who go to the school pass the first time, which saves time and money. A one-hour session at the school is 4600 yen. It is usually difficult to call in and schedule an appointment for the same day, so try to make the appointment beforehand. Passing the Practical Test . The biggest step to success here is taking some practice sessions at the driving school next to the test center. The practical test does not actually test practical driving skills, but your ability to follow very specific rules. . For an in-depth description of the “skills” needed to pass the test, go to: http://jhsenglipediaproject.com/Links_NonTeaching_Cars_Exam.aspx or http://ishikawajet.wikia.com/wiki/How_to_get_a_Japanese_Drivers_License_-_From_Start_to_Finish Driving in Japan–Observations Japanese Drivers . Slower traffic flows in the left lane, faster traffic flows in the right lane. . Pedestrians and cyclists often don’t look around, and a lot of cyclists don’t use lights at night-time. Pay attention and watch out! . Turn signals are often not used, or won’t be turned on until the last minute (or after a traffic light has changed to green). . Many drivers will slow down without using their brakes. . You will see many drivers without their headlights on in the early evening or in tunnels. . It is legal to drive in the rain without using your windshield wipers. . Cars often suddenly stop on the side of the road and turn on their hazards to make phone calls, check maps, etc. Be aware at all times for unexpectedly stopped cars. . It is not uncommon to see cars driving on a wide sidewalk or through a parking lot to bypass other cars or to bypass a light, although these practices are illegal. . There are many small one-way looking streets that are actually two-way streets. Pay attention to signs. . Many roads are one-way roads or pedestrian only roads at certain hours of the day . Drivers tend to inch forward when the light is red in anticipation of the green light; they may make it all the way through the intersection before the light has turned green. . Many drivers will run red lights, some more egregiously than others. Be especially careful if you’re turning right, as many cars will run a red light without paying attention to right of way. . A green and yellow sticker on the back of the car means that the driver is a new year driver, and a maple leaf stickers mean the driver is 75+ years old. A combination sticker is a combination newly licensed old driver. . Hazards flashed twice means “Thank you” (after letting someone turn or merge). . Police cars flash their lights when they’re on patrol, but they will not sound their sirens. If you are actually being pulled over, they will shout on a megaphone. There are often police road blocks where they check for drunk drivers. . Beware of speed traps. High beams flashed twice from opposing traffic means “speed trap” . Beware of speed cameras. Most are supposedly activated when the car surpasses the speed limit by 20 km+. You may see drivers slow down when approaching a speed camera. Rules of the Road . Drive on the left side of the road. . You cannot turn left on red. . The right of way is always given to pedestrians and cyclists. . It is the law to always fasten your seatbelt. . Backseat passengers must also wear seatbelts! . You cannot use your cell phone while driving. . Stop at ALL railroad crossings regardless of if there are warning lights or barriers. . Wear a helmet on motorcycles and scooters. 26 . Give way to emergency vehicles (even if you are the only one doing it). . Flashing police lights do not mean you should pull over or stop unless you hear a megaphone, too. Lines You will see white lines, yellow lines, dashed, solid, and a mixture. The lines do not indicate traffic flow so assume every road goes in two directions (no matter how narrow it is) unless you are on the expressway. Basically, the rule is that, if the line is dashed, you may pass, overtaking the car in front of you. If the line is a solid white, you may pass but exercise caution. Never cross a solid yellow line at all unless there is an additional white line on your side. This is especially true if it is a thick yellow line. Also, as a general rule, there is no passing allowed in a tunnel. Traffic Signs Traffic signs are not written in romaji at all, though many are self-explanatory. See your JET Diary (or here http://www.police.pref.shizuoka.jp/e-html/yobu-1-h.htm) for a complete list. If you see a lit sign full of kanji, it is almost always warning of a construction zone ahead. Despite the intimidating number of kanji, it is almost never something to worry about. Construction Zones Construction is common, especially construction that reverts traffic to one lane. These zones are either monitored by live workers or by small lights. If a worker waves a red flag at you, you must stop. If a worker waves a white flag, you may proceed. If a worker is waving a sign with two giant kanji, it usually means 'slow' indicating construction ahead. There may be a single light during off-peak times. Simply: stop if it is red and proceed if it is blue or green. (Often, a timer shows how long you have to wait before you can proceed - no more than 2 minutes.) Don't speed! Speeding tickets are very expensive here! . Fines start at ¥12,000 and go up to ¥70,000. Your license will be suspended for a month if police catch you going 30 km over the speed limit. You will also be made to apologize to your Contracting Organization and/or school and other workplaces. Expect all of your co-workers to hear about your speeding ticket. . Random DWI tests are very common and absolutely no drunk driving is allowed! Some people have gotten pulled over at 10:00 am. Don't think that because you live in a rural area that you won't get pulled over. If you get caught driving under the influence of ANY alcohol, there is a good chance that you will lose your license AND your job! It is ZERO tolerance -- one drink is too much to be behind the wheel. Purchasing Gas . Gas is expensive in the city but cheaper outside it. Gas stations along Route 8 often have good prices. . If you frequent a gas station, ask if they have a point card, which upon presentation will get you a discount anytime you go. There are some gas stations that also have discount days. . Gas stations won't generally take credit cards (except ENEOS). Also, many gas stations close around 7:30/8:00 pm. They could also be closed on Sundays or holidays. If you are in a rural area, don't run your tank too low! . Self-service stations will say セルフ on them somewhere visibly. Some places have a machine outside where you pay first while others will have you go inside to pay when you are finished. . Full-service stations cost a little extra, but a gas station attendant will put the gas in for you and clean your windshield. When the attendant comes over to you, if you want to fill up the tank with regular gas and pay in cash, you can just say: mantan genkin desu. If you want premium, then say: haioku mantan genkin desu. If you want a certain amount of gas, tell them (--litres/yen). They will also offer to throw away your garbage and give you a rag to wipe the inside of your dash. Important Terms Full tank - mantan 満タン Premium gasoline - haioku ハイオク Cash - genkin 現金 Ashtray – haizara 灰皿 Regular - regyura レギュラ Garbage - gomi ゴミ How to Handle an Accident . Call the police by dialing 110 . If anyone is injured, call an ambulance by dialing 119 . Record the people involved and where the accident took place . Call your supervisor Tolls and Travel . The major highways in Japan have tolls. The amount that you have to pay depends on how far you are driving. Often when you enter a toll road, you will take a ticket and then pay at the booth when you exit. Other times, an amount will be collected at each toll booth. Link to prices: http://global.c-nexco.co.jp/toll/index.html . If you are paying with cash or credit card (most major tollways accept credit cards), use the lanes marked in green. Do not go through the purple ETC lanes. . Yellow plate cars pay less at tolls than white plate cars do. . There are toll tickets you can buy that discount the amount paid slightly. Toll passes for the Noto Yuryo can be purchased at city halls in the Noto.

27 . The ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) card makes tolls cheaper (on weekends, the toll is capped at 1000 yen for some highways) and automatically charges the amount to your account. Setting up the ETC pass can take a long time. You have to first apply for a Japanese credit card, which foreigners usually cannot get until they have been here for about one year. If you do some hunting around, you may be able to find a company that will issue you a credit card and an accompanying ETC card, but don’t expect to obtain the card for about 10 months. After you get the card, then you can go to a car shop and buy an ETC machine (which will cost between ¥15,000– 25,000). You cannot install the machine on your own; a certified mechanic has to install it for you. Here is a link explaining how to use the ETC system: http://www.go-etc.jp/english/index.html Winter Driving . Be sure to get snow tires on your car before the first snow fall. . It is always a good idea to carry sand or salt in the back of your car in case you get stuck. . Drive more slowly in winter conditions and allow yourself more room to stop. . Brake gently to avoid skidding. If you feel your car start to skid, ease off the brake. . If you end up sliding on ice, don't panic! Also, don't brake. Steer the wheel where you want the front tires to go. . Be especially careful on overpasses, bridges, and infrequently used roads because these freeze first. . Don't use cruise control or overdrive in wet or icy conditions. . Carry an ice scraper/snow brush in your car at all times. . After it snows, make sure to clear your car off completely. You don't want snow falling in front of your view when you are driving. . It is important not to run your gas tank low in the winter. If the temperature gets below freezing, your tank can freeze if there is less than a quarter of a tank of gas in it. Emergency Car Kit Suggestions Jumper Cables Phillips head screwdrivers Spray bottle with washer fluid Four 15-minute roadside flares Pliers Pocketknife Two quarts of oil Vise grips Ice scraper Gallon of anti-freeze Adjustable wrench Pen and paper First aid kit Tire inflator (such as fix-a-flat) Help sign Blanket Tire pressure gauge Granola or energy bars Extra fuses Rags Bottled water Flashlight and extra batteries Roll of paper towels Heavy-duty carrying bag Flat head screwdrivers Roll of duct tape Note: For winter, especially in the Noto and when traveling long distances by car, it is important to be prepared with blankets and other things to keep you warm if you get stranded. If the weather is bad, roadside assistance may be HOURS away. Resources: Lonely Planet Japan, 2648 yen Bilingual atlas / maps (www.amazon.co.jp) http://maps.google.com There are a number of maps available at the IFIE book store http://ishikawajet.wikia.com/wiki/How_to_get_a_Japanese_Drivers_License_-_From_Start_to_Finish http://ishikawajet.wikia.com/wiki/Driving http://jhsenglipediaproject.com/Links_NonTeaching_Cars.aspx http://www.city.seki.gifu.jp/foreign/english/untenen.pdf (A guide to Japanese driving laws produced in English by the Gifu Police Department) http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/bukyoku/seikan/kokuko/e-ibaraki-report/0612demerits.html (An excellent guide to the Japanese point and penalty system, with detailed lists of infractions.) http://www.supermelf.com/japan/ajetdrivingbook/index.htm http://www.clair.or.jp/tagengorev/en/n/01-4.html Ishikawa JET forum http://j-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=211&t=5598&start=15 JAF www.jaf.or.jp AJET Handbook http://www.supermelf.com/japan/ajetdrivingbook/chap3.html#b

28 Presentation by Kendall Jackson and Lauren Culp Public Transport Trains ● www.hyperdia.com – This site can tell you EVERYTHING!! ● Buy a ticket at a ticket machines or the JR Ticket Office ● Don’t forget #1 - keep your ticket because you will need it to enter and exit the trains. ● Don’t forget #2 - Japan is on the 24 hour clock, so double check your times! ● Don’t forget #3 – pay the right fare. No refunds!! How to use a ticket machine ● Check the fare amount ● Put money into the machine ● Your fare choice buttons will light up ● Choose the right fare ● Get a ticket! ● Don’t forget your change!!! Buses ● Buses go (almost) everywhere J ● There are different kinds of buses and bus companies ○ Hokutetsu ○ JR ○ Highway ○ Overnight ○ Tour How to use the buses ● FIRST - find the right bus at the right time ○ The buses do NOT run 24 hours. ○ On weekend / holidays the buses run at different times ○ 平日 = weekday ○ 土日祝 = weekend/holiday ○ Press the stop button to get off ● SECOND - pay the right fare ○ Option 1: ICa bus pass (Hokutetsu) ○ Option 2: Take a fare ticket and use money ○ Match the fare ticket number to the sign at the front of the bus. Below the number is the fare. Check the fare as you exit the bus and pay at the front next to the driver. Bus Information Websites ● http://www.kanazawa.go.jp/bus/pc/index.html (tutorial for this site on the JET Wiki) ● http://www.hokutetsu.co.jp/ ● www.nishihonjrbus.co.jp/other_bus/kanazawa_information.html Public Transportation Etiquette ● Don’t be loud. ● Don’t use your cell phone to make/take calls. ● Turn off the ringer – Manner Mode only! ● Don’t sit on the floor. ● Don’t sit in the priority seats and try to give up your seat to the elderly if possible. ● On some buses/trains food is not allowed. Taxis ● There are many companies: Daiwa, Naruwa, Sakura, Pro Taxi, etc. ● Prices range from 円 560 -円 690 ● Taxis may be difficult to get in a small neighborhood, but you can find them easily downtown, at the station, and near the Kencho.

29 ● Try to have smaller bills, 円 10,000 might make getting change difficult. Giving Directions to Taxi Drivers ● Remember! Most streets do not have names. ● Addresses may confuse the driver – ask for your neighborhood/area name ( ex. Kasugamachi). ● Landmark directions are also helpful (ex. near Tsutaya). ● http://www.taxi-ishikawa.jp/index.html - lots of taxi info, but it’s all in Japanese! Bicycles ● Register your bike! You need: ● Your name in Katakana ● Japanese address ● Phone number ● ID ● Watch out for: ● CARS!!! ● Giant gutters ● People who won’t move...EVER ● Other important things: ● Buy a light for night time riding – DON’T GET A TICKET ● Lock your bike ● Don’t ride drunk ● Watch for no bicycle areas ● Don’t forget where you parked it Walking! ● Start with a good map, remember there are few street names. ● Look for intersection names instead. ● Check the distance! Places may look close but be a 45 minute walk away. ● Be safe! Watch for cars (even on the sidewalk), bicycles (they won’t ring their bell), and giant gutters (that will sprain your ankles)!!! Useful Kanji

駅 eki station 金沢 Kanazawa 電車 densha train 兼六園 Kenrokuen 特急 tokkyuu express 武蔵ヶ辻 Musashigatsuji 夜行 yakou night (bus) 香林坊 Kohrinbo 自動券売機 jidoukenbaiki ticket machine 片町 Katamachi おつり otsuri change 県庁前 Kenchomae 切符・きっぷ kippu ticket 内灘 Uchinada 入口 iriguchi entrance 野々市 Nonoichi 出口 deguchi exit 白山 Hakusan バス停 basu tei bus stop 松任 Mattou 時刻表 jikokuhyou timetable 小松 Komatsu 自転車 jitensha bicycle 加賀 Kaga 能登 Noto 羽咋 Hakui 七尾 Nanao 珠洲 Suzu 穴水 Anamizu 輪島 Wajima

30

Frugal An intro to もったいない Presentation by Ryan Khan and Lauren Culp Living

The Basics ☆ Banks & ATMs:  Bank hours are short (9 – 3) and ATM’s are not 24 hrs (varies by bank/day/location)  Banks & ATM’s are regional (ex. Hokkoku 北國銀行 is in Hokuriku only – Ishikawa, Toyama, Fukui)  Be aware! Non-bank ATM’s have a service charge ☆ Loyalty Cards (ポイントカード):  EVERY business has one (even gas stations) – so take one! Points = discounts ☆ End of day sales  Grocery stores will discount food made that day an hour or two before closing  Sometimes there will be discounts on things that will expire soon ☆ Seasonal Items:  In season food will always be cheaper (but not necessarily cheap)  Look for season sales (heaters, blankets in winter – fans in summer)  BIG SALES – after New Year’s Day and the beginning of July  For winter – kerosene heaters tend to be cheaper than other heat sources ☆ 100 Yen Shop:  Make it your first stop! It has quality household goods and food and stickers and game pieces for class ☆ Recommended Stores:  Don Quixote (ドン・キホーテ) – “The Wal-Mart of Japan,” it has a good selection of imported goods (laundry detergent, shampoo, soap, food) and generally have low prices  Yamaya – really cheap alcohol and a great selection plus imported foods (a bit expensive, but often the only store that carries the items)  2nd Hand Stores – Second Street, House Off, Ro-Man-Yu (浪漫遊), and more (some specialize in furniture, electronics, books, clothes, etc.)  Nitori – new household items for low prices  Uniqlo – inexpensive clothing store and tends to have larger sizes than many Japanese stores  Online – amazon.jp, rakuten.co.jp, fbcusa.com, themeatguy.jp General Tips ☆ Don’t shop when hungry ☆ Make a shopping list and stick to it ☆ Avoid Convenience Stores and Vending Machines – just like back home prices are higher ☆ Making your own food (added benefit – leftovers!) ☆ Utilities are likely more expensive here than they were back home  Use power bars with switches for each plug. Remember - if a light on, it’s drawing energy  Many appliances have timers (like A/C unit) ☆ Use common sense – impulse buying is dangerous for the wallet, try to avoid being mesmerised by fancy products and features that you might not need. ☆ Get a piggy bank and save all \500 coins you get ☆ Fix things yourself! – Go to a hardware store (like Musashi Super Center) and build things you need http://lifehacker.com http://instructables.com

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Daily Banking and Paying Presentation by Lauren Ackerman, Chelsea Robinson and Seán Kenny Living

Vocabulary

At the Counter At the ATM

受取人 uketorinin Recipient 確認 kakunin confirm

銀行名 ginkoumei Bank name 確かめ tashikame confirm

支店名 shitenmei Branch name 訂正 teisei correct (erases field)

口座番号 kouzabangou Account number 前に戻る mae ni modoru back one screen

金額 kingaku Amount 振込み furikomi transfer

貯金帳 chokinchou Bank Book 引き出し hikidashi withdrawal

取り消し torikeshi cancel

I. Transferring Money (Furikomi 振込み） ATMs do 現金 (genkin, cash) and キャッシュカード(cash card) transfers. Cash card furikomi have restricted hours and are more prone to errors. Try your first furikomi with cash. Remember, fees can be from 400 to 750 yen. TIPS . Bring your cash card and bank book. . Bring ALL Your recipient’s info, written in katakana and kanji. . Try to make your first furikomi during bank hours, when a bank attendant can help if something goes wrong. PROCESS 1. On the home screen, select 振込み. Then select 現金 or キャッシュカード. 2. The next options are 振り込み券 (furikomi ticket) and その地 (other). A furikomi ticket, or furikomi card, is a credit card sized instant furikomi pass that saves you from entering info again. You can print one out at the end of the transaction. If you don’t have one, hit その地. 3. This is the main screen. Hopefully, your info is filled in. You need to enter the information for お振込み先, the recipient. Find the お振込先 button and tap it. 4. Choose what institution you are transferring to. It’s probably 銀行 (bank) or 信用組合/信用金庫 (credit union). 5. Choose if you are transferring within your bank (Bank Name) or outside it (その地） 6. A katakana grid will appear. Select the first character of the recipient’s bank name. 7. Choose the bank name in kanji from a list. 8. Time for the branch name! The katakana grid is back. Write the first letter. (Note--for 中央、it’s チ). Select the branch name in kanji from a list. 9. Still with us? Now, select the type of transfer: 普通 (regular), 貯蓄 (special) or 当座 (checking). It’s 普通 unless otherwise specified. 10. Now, the ATM will process and then take you back to the main screen. In the 振込先 block, it’s time to enter information about 口座, the account. Hit 口座。 32 11. Enter 口座番号, the bank account number. 12. *For GoLloyds transfers, you must also enter 振込み人名, the account holder’s name. GoLloyds will give you instructions about this. 13. The next screen will show you the name of the recipient. ALWAYS double check. 14. Now, enter 振込み金額, the amount of money to be transferred. 15. Put in your cash! The machine will count it, ask you to confirm the amount, and then show that number on the 振 込み home screen. Now you are ready to press THE FINAL 確認. ...BUT WAIT! The ATM has some questions for you! These could be in any order. A. If you are doing the transfer after 3 pm, there will be a screen with tomorrow’s date. The machine is asking if it’s okay that the money will be transferred on the next business day. Hit はい or 確認. B. There may be a screen with this: 今後繰り返し行いますか. (Look for 繰り返し, kurikaeshi, repeat.) The machine is asking you if you will make this transfer again. If you will, hit する。 If not hit しない。 C. There may be a screen with the word 振込み券. If you want a card you can stick in the machine instead of entering all that info again, hit する. It will print you a card at the end of the transaction. D. There will be a screen asking if you want a receipt. Yes is する, no is しない. You did it! Remember, your tears of joy will only confuse the irate old ladies waiting behind you. II. Making Automatic Monthly Payments (Jidou soukin 自動送金) 1. Bring your bank book, all your payee’s information, and your hanko. If you are still learning banking and paperwork kanji, bring along the vocabulary sheet! 2. At the bank reception kiosk, press the 振込み button and wait. 3. At the counter, say 「自動送金を始めたいです。」Jidou-soukin wo hajimetai desu. 4. You will receive a form. You must fill in your bank account information from your bank book and also fill in your payee’s information. If you don’t think you can write the kanji clearly, tell the bank attendant sumimasen, kono kanji no kakikata ga wakarimasen. (Sorry, I don’t know how to write this kanji.) They may offer to fill part (or all) of it out for you. 5. Fill in the amount. The bank will add a transfer fee of about 550 yen. 6. Fill in when you want the money to be transferred every month. If it falls on a Sunday or Holiday, they will ask if you want it to happen before (前 mae) or after (後 ato). 7. Fill in when you want the last monthly transfer to occur. III. GoLloyds GoLloyds is the easiest and most popular way to send cash back home. The application is available online, but must be mailed or faxed in to their Tokyo Office. It takes a week or two for them to process applications, so start now to get transferring soon after your first JET paycheck. The application is free and requires: . Japanese bank information . Home country bank information (address, branch number, account routing number) . A photocopy of your passport . A photocopy of your resident card GoLloyds charges 2,000 円 for every transfer, to be taken out of what you send. Your bank at home may charge more. Hokkoku Bank charges 750 円 for transfers to your GoLloyds account. IV. Paying for things at Combini. A. Bills–no need to use a machine! Also, if you have a point card, bills count. 1. Choose your combini based on the logos printed on the bill. 2. Take bill to counter and give it to the cashier. 3. After they scan it, hit the button that says はい. 4. Give the cashier money. That’s it. B. Tickets 1. While researching your event, find ticket codes. Lawson’s is L Code. Circle K and 7-11 use P-code. Family Mart uses e-plus.* 2. Go to the ticket machine at a conbini. Find the L/Pーコード button. Enter the code number.

33 3. Confirm the name of the event. Use the 確認 button. 4. Select a ticket option. This will vary from event to event, so do your research. You may have to confirm a few times. 5. Enter your name. There is a screen for hiragana/kanji (sometimes English letters, too, depending on the machine) and a screen for the furigana, the katakana for how to read your name. You may have to write your name in hiragana. 6. Enter your phone number. 7. Confirm. Print ticket order. 8. Bring it to the person at the counter and pay up. *NOTE : Sometimes you can reserve a ticket on the event website. When you do this, you will get an email with a code. You can actually skip to step 8 by either printing the email and bringing it or by showing the person at the counter the code on your phone screen. C. Amazon.co.jp or other online orders (Lawson instructions only). 1. When you order, after you fill in your address/select a delivery address, select コンビニ as your payment option. You will get an email with a 注文番号, payment code. Bring this number with you to the conbini. 2. At the conbini ticket machine, find and select the button that says 各種番号をお持ちの方. 3. Where it says 受付番号, enter your order number. It will show you the contents and price of your order (in Japanese). If this looks right, hit 確認する. 4. A receipt will come out of the machine. Take this receipt and your money to the cashier and pay up. NOTE 1: If you don’t want to deal with rescheduling a delivery, you can have your Amazon.jp item shipped to the nearest Lawson to be picked up at your convenience. NOTE 2: You have six days to pay. Your item will not be shipped until you pay.

34

Daily Postal Services

Living Vocabulary

住所 jusho Address 配達証明 haitatsu shoumei Delivery certificate

郵便番号 yuubin Postal Code 定形外 teikeigai Non-standard size bangou

書留 kakitome Registered mail 料金着払 ryoukin chakubarai Pay on delivery/ COD

小包 kozutsumi Parcel 自宅 jitaku Home

保険 hoken Insurance 差出人 sashidashinin Sender

配達 haitatsu Delivery 受取人 uketorinin Recipient

再配達 saihaitatsu Redelivery 明日まで ashita made By tomorrow

速達便 sokutatsubin Express mail ～までこれを送りたい ～made I want to send this to kore wo okuritai ~(country)

内容 naiyou Contents

I. Sending a Package or Letter via Japan Post A. Sending a letter/application. 1. The recipient name and address goes on the front; yours goes on the back. You can also fill out forms that they will stick to your envelope. Romaji is OK. 2. Take the letter to the post counter. They will ask when you want it delivered by. You can say a date, point to a calendar, or just ask for sokutatsubin. 3. They may ask if you want it registered (kakitome). 4. Pay up and walk out. B. Sending a package. 1. If you want to send a package overseas, say (country)made kore wo okuritai. They will give you an international delivery form, which has English in all fields. International deliveries prefer romaji. 2. They will ask if you want it to be registered (kakitome). Then they will ask if you want it to be insured (hoken). Answer hai, or iie, daijoubu desu (no thanks). 3. They’ll weigh the package and charge you. If you registered or insured your mail, they will show you the relevant numbers on the receipts. II. Rescheduling a Missed Delivery from Japan Post If you miss a package, you’ll get a white and red slip that says and Missed Delivery. Don’t panic! You have three options. 1. Call the number on the slip and reschedule the delivery by phone. 35 2. Go to your city’s biggest post office with the slip and your Resident Card. Present it to the people at the Quick Service Counter （ゆうゆう）. These can be open as late as 8 pm. Walk out with your item like a boss. 3. Reschedule a home delivery online. It’s mostly in Japanese, but the address field has some English. Go to https://trackings.post.japanpost.jp/delivery/delivery_request.do If you are waiting on a package from your home country, under “mail type,” select 国際小包・EMS. If you are waiting on registered mail, select 書留一般. If you are waiting on refrigerated food from online, select チルド (chilled, not child) or 冷凍 (frozen). NOTE: When filling in your name in English letters, switch to Romaji in your computer’s Japanese imput menu, since the site only accepts full-width characters. See Surviving in Japan Without Much Japanese: http://www.survivingnjapan.com/2010/02/how-to-get-something- redelivered-online.html III. Yamato Kuroneko Ta-Q-Bin English Site https://contact-us.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/webtoi/english/top.do Yamato Kuroneko is leading the way in Japanese English-language customer service. On their website, you can 1) schedule a redelivery, 2) schedule a package to be picked up for shipping, and 3) schedule a suitcase to be shipped to your destination ALL IN ENGLISH.

36

Nutrition and Eating Healthy

Overview If you’re not careful, it can be surprisingly easy to put on weight, or live an unhealthy eating lifestyle in Japan. Here are my three basic rules for eating healthy: 1. Remember to try and have a decent portion of protein (lean meats, fish, tofu, eggs) with your good carbohydrates (rice, pasta). 2. Always have some sort of fruits or vegetables with your meals. 3. Always – always – have a breakfast. Supermarkets Most will have a decent selection of meats and vegetables. Some have special price days (with cheaper meats, for example). Unfortunately, fruit can be extraordinarily high in price in Japan. Find what’s relatively cheap (eg bananas) and stick to it. It is possible to cook some western style dishes, but finding ingredients you want can be a chore. Don’t be afraid to substitute or experiment. Also…..don’t be afraid to try cooking Japanese style food. If you feel adventurous, there is plenty of online help in this, or perhaps you could enrol in a cooking class? Japanese Food Japanese food – like any other food in the world – has its healthy and unhealthy options. Fresh sushi and sashimi are wonderful options. Conversely, Japanese curry is carb heavy (if desperately delicious!). Just be smart about what you’re eating. A note on school lunches in JHS: I’m of the opinion that they are not that healthy for the majority of JETs. They suit active Japanese pre-teens in that they have a lot of carbs needed for their club activities etc. However, they are incredibly convenient and cheap, as well as being quite varied. I would suggest at least trying them for a term to see what you think, and if you’d prefer making your own lunches. Eating out No hard and fast rule for this. Just be smart about how many times you go out, and where you go. Also, watch yourself during a 食べ放題 (all you can eat). Be especially wary of people shouting ‘It’s a challenge!’. One last thing: Despite what people may say, McDonalds is NOT healthier than ‘back home’.

37 Restaurants

Arrival How many in your party? 何名様ですか。 nan mei sama desu ka One (two, three) people. 一人（二人、三人） hitori (futari, san’nin) 禁煙席か喫煙席、どっちにしま kin'en seki ka kitsuen seki, docchi Non-smoking or smoking?? すか。 ni shimasu ka Non-smoking, please. 禁煙席でお願いします。 kin'en seki de onegaishimasu

Ordering Please wait a minute. ちょっと待ってください。 chotto matte kudasai Note: Waiters and waitresses typically only come if called, either when you yell, “Sumimasen!” or hit the order button on the table. I’ll have ～。 ～をください。 ～wo kudasai Water, please. お冷を下さい。 ohiya wo kudasai X wo futatsu to Y wo hitosu Two of X and one of Y. X を二つと Y を１つください。 kudasai How much is this? これはいくらですか。 kore wa ikura desu ka What do you recommend? お勧めはありませんか。 osusume wa arimasen ka 肉も魚も入っていない料理はあ niku mo sakana mo haitteinai Do you have any vegetarian dishes? りますか。 ryouri wa arimasu ka Does this dish have X in it? これは X が入っていますか。 kore wa X ga haitteimasu ka X のアレルギーがあります。X が X no arerugii ga arimasu. X ga I'm allergic to X. I can't eat X. 食べられません。 taberaremasen.

Leaving Check, please. 会計をお願いします。 kaikei wo onegaishimasu 請求書をお願いしていいです seikyuusho wo onegaishite ii Could I have a receipt, please? か。 desu ka Can we pay separately? 別々でいいですか。 betsu betsu de ii desu ka Thank you/it was delicious. ごちそうさまでした。 gochisousama deshita Note: There is no tipping in Japan!

38

Gyms, Exercise and Sports

Joining Gyms  Gyms in Japan can drastically vary in prices, so shop around. Obviously, convenience of location will also play a part in your decision.  My old gym near Kanazawa Station was about \9,000 per month for full access to facilities during opening hours.  Prices vary mainly according to access hours.  Important information to know when joining  First, if your Japanese is non-existent, I would highly advise asking for help with signing up from someone who speaks the language. You may be signing up for a monthly direct debit, so it’s important that you completely understand everything.  Of course, it never hurts to just ask if they speak English. Many gyms are attached to hotels, so they may be used to speaking with foreigners.  Some gyms ask for a ‘registration fee’, which varies in price. Mine was \5,000.  You may also be asked to pay two months in advance.  You will need some ID, money, your hanko and bank book when you’re joining.  Some gyms do trials, and others do ‘pay as you train’ rates. Again, it just depends on the gym itself.

Where are they? Gyms are pretty common in populated areas of Ishikawa. Ask your supervisor, predecessor or neighbouring JETs for information on your closest one. Of course, it may be that you’re just nowhere near a gym, or you don’t want to spend money on one. There are a couple of ways to circumvent this.

Home Exercise  You can buy weights, yoga mats, swiss balls etc. from amazon.co.jp, or sports stores around Ishikawa.  Exercising at home is a great way to save money on the gym.  To save even more, you could just use your bodyweight, using calisthenics. See www.alkavadlo.com for some good information.

Sports  Joining a sports club is a great way to exercise and socialize. If it’s a Japanese one, all the better to help you brush up on your language skills.  Many JETs have casual meet ups where they play indoor soccer, basketball etc., so ask around.  Joining in with the kids after school is also a great way to keep fit and have fun with the kids. Be careful though: ask your supervisor if this is okay, as some clubs can be quite serious and may not appreciate the natural interference your presence will create!  If there’s a specific sport you like, ask around for information. You may be surprised at what you can find!

39

to Teaching Second Language Learners Intro Presentation by Kendall Jackson

Learning a foreign language is tough! Sympathy for the student is required, especially for the very shy Japanese types. Remember, they come from a culture where the proverb “the nail that sticks out is hammered down” is famous and popular. Keep in mind your own experiences learning a new language. (If you do not have such experiences, it's time to start now with Japanese.)

Acquisition vs Learning You don't have to know a lot of the deep theory behind language learning in order to be an effective teacher. But a little bit helps!

“Learning” means book-lernin'. It means memorizing grammatical formulas, memorizing word meanings and pronunciation, memorizing rules, memorizing everything. For some parts of language, this is necessary -- for example, when you study Japanese kanji yourself. English spelling can be a similar problem for your students, which requires a lot of book learning and memorizing. But more generally, this is not the best way to go about doing things.

What we want to focus on is acquisition. This is different! It means a natural, easy-going, conversational way of picking up fluency. When you were a child, you didn't learn language from books! You learned by picking up the language naturally from the people around you. The students should pick up their English naturally by talking with you. Some book learning will be necessary. But better than learning is acquisition. Better than memorizing is a year-long conversation with your students, in which you build up their vocabularies little by little.

Try to facilitate acquisition in your classroom!

The Affective Filter Unfortunately, the human brain stops being a language sponge right around the time that students enter junior high school. (Yes, the Japanese generally begin their English education at the exact same time that it becomes more difficult to teach their students English.) You are not in the enviable position of teaching their first language, which would be easy.

Why, God? Why are you their teacher? You are in the position of teaching their second language. Much harder. In order to succeed at this, you need to create a positive classroom atmosphere. If students are nervous, their brains will shut down. You can't let that happen.

40 If you have a student standing up by themselves in class, then they become nervous. Their brains will shut down. If you pick a single student to answer a question, and they can't answer, and you let the whole class go silent for thirty seconds while you wait for an answer that isn't coming, that doesn't help.

Motivation, Self-Confidence, and Anxiety Your job, as a teacher, is to build motivation and self-confidence. For serious, this is part of your job description. You have been brought from over the big blue waters, at great expense, in order to fire up the kiddies' imaginations, so that they will want to learn English.

Making them a nervous wreck is not helpful to that goal.

Always be careful about the pressure you're putting on students. Always be sure to get every student involved, instead of forcing one person to answer. If you have enthusiastic students in your class, they are a blessing! Use them to establish the pattern, and then try to return to the shy person. And remember their names, for goodness' sake.

We are psychologically primed to respond to our names. Use the very simple technique of repeating their names back to them, over and over again. With a smile, if at all possible.

Not the way to go about things.

Group Work It's nerve-wracking for the students to be put on the spot all the time. So don't put them on the spot! Divide them into groups, so that they can talk with themselves instead of talking with you. Use a conversation with the JTE as an example, and get the students to follow the example conversation among themselves.

Mix Student Skill Levels One of the best abilities of a teacher is delegation. You don't have to teach. You can have the students teach themselves.

If you're forming groups, try to get good speakers mixed with less-good speakers. The students will be less nervous learning from their peers, and the students who are helping will also sharpen their own abilities. Teaching something means you have to be good at it.

Circle of Questioning There are techniques to do communicative group work, where students have to understand first-person, second-person, and third-person English grammatical forms. This is especially useful for Japanese students, because Japanese change its verb conjugations based on person. (They changed their verb forms for entirely different reasons.)

Remember your experience with this sort of question circle. It can go a long way.

41

Not just a store.

Finding a Target Student You can't teach at a speed that's good for every student. Some are smart, some are dumb, some should be in prison already. Don't go so slowly that the vast majority of the class is bored with you. Also don't go so fast that only the class brain can keep track.

Pick a target stick, with abilities in the middle. You'll actually be able to figure this out pretty fast. If you target student is following along, then it's time to move on.

Getting Kids to Answer Questions Questions are at the heart of communication. You have a JTE in front of the class, and you can use short conversations with your JTE to set up the grammatical forms and vocabulary words you want to teach for the day.

Get your students to answer your questions, and make your questions interesting. Be genuinely curious about your students lives. Show them genuine attention and interest, and they'll recognize it. And they will reciprocate, at least a little, in their language learning.

Comprehensible Input If you put your students in front of an English television show, they are not going to learn. The English will be too advanced. In order for them to learn, you have to speak in a way that they will understand. You must use teacher English.

Speak slowly. Speak clearly. Use simple words and simple grammatical forms. Talk with your hands. Make pictures on the board. Speak as much as English as you can, and make sure that the English you speak can be deciphered by a student who doesn't know much of the language.

i + 1: Stretching their Abilities This is a little more language theory. The “i” represents their current language level.

They won't learn if you keep using the same forms they already know. They also won't learn if you start speaking full-speed colloquial English at them. The way to teach is to force them to stretch a little. Use grammatical forms that are just a little bit harder than what they know. Use a word or two that is outside their vocabulary. Remember your target student. If your target student is stretching a bit to get your meaning, you're doing good. When you target student understands, it's time to move on.

42 Establish Everyday Classroom Routines You don't want to do the same boring exercises every day. You also don't want to explain brand new exercises every day.

Establish some everyday routines, especially at the beginning of class. Get them comfortable. Get them used to speaking English. A good way to do this is to have a pool of questions that you typically ask every day. Start each day by asking the questions, with the pool getting bigger and bigger as the year goes along.

After you've made them comfortable with a routine is when you spring a surprising new exercise on them. Start with a comfortable atmosphere, then make them stretch a little bit to keep up, then return to a comfortable exercise. Be varied and original, within a familiar structure.

Grammar Translation There are, broadly speaking, two different ways to teach language. The classical way is to teach grammatical forms, somewhat like a math class. The students are always translating into and out of their native language. This is the classical method in history, and it's the method that some JTEs use in their classes.

This method is total crap.

Communicative Method What we want to do in our classes is concentrate on communication. And everything I've been talking about so far has been based on communication. The difference between “learning” and “acquisition” is based on the same distinction. Grammar/“book learnin” is bad. Communication/ “acquisition” is good. Use communication!

Vocabulary: Meaning vs Pronunciation There are always trade-offs. Spend time on one thing, and you can't spend that time on another. But in this case, both pieces are important.

To learn meaning, it's best to do pictures and not translation. (No translation! Very little Japanese, or zero Japanese, if you can avoid it!) If you're teaching the word elephant, have a big picture of an elephant. You don't want them to “learn” through their original language. You don't want them translating in their heads all the time. You want them to acquire the new language naturally.

For pronunciation, don't be too picky. Japanese does not have the same breadth of phonetic sounds that English has. If the students had started earlier with English, they would be able to distinguish r and l more readily, for example. But they didn't. Try to teach the proper sounds, put some time into it, but don't get too worried about it if they don't master it. There are some very good English speakers in Japan who don't have perfect pronunciation.

SHS vs JHS Unfortunately, a lot of junior high ALTs don't have a lot of power to influence their teaching. They don't see the same students often enough. But do what you can! Every bit of communicative practice you give them can help them in the future! Ask you JTEs what you can do, and you might be surprised.

If you're a senior high ALT, you should have more leeway. Take advantage of it!

Ideal vs Reality Your lessons will not always live up to these ideals. Some of your lesson plans will flop horribly. Don't worry about it!

43 Do your best. Try to find the mistakes in your past lessons to make them more interesting. Always keep trying. We have been brought here to help these students learn English, and we should shoot for the ideal, but we will never reach it. Just keep trying!

Have Fun! It's better for everyone if you're having a good time. Do your job, but have fun while you're at it. Even when it's tough, be sure to enjoy your little successes, even if it's only getting through a single class without murdering a student.

Hooray! I didn't kill anyone today!

44

Art, Culture and Event Resources Ishikawa Presentation by Lauren Culp, Chelsea Robinson and Hantz Exil

Resource Format Where to Find It Updates/New English? Description Issues Hot-Ishikawa Webpage www.hot-ishikawa.com Monthly yes Cultural event info and web- (Newsletter in and tourism

based spring, information newsletter summer, autumn, winter) Eye On Free paper KZ Station, Hotels, Rifare New issues in yes In-depth Kanazawa (also spring, introductions to www.eyeon.jp available summer, culture and online) autumn, winter cuisine, as well as event information The Art of Web www.ajkanazawa.com yes Art (both Kanazawa magazine traditional and modern) and culture in Kanazawa, how and where to enjoy the seasons, event calendar Ishikawa JET Blog ishkawajet.wordpress.com Updated yes Events in Ishikawa Blog regularly and the surrounding areas, seasonal info, restaurant reviews Ishikawa JET Wiki ishikawajet.wikia.com yes Listings of annual Wiki events and festivals around the prefecture 金沢情報 Free paper KZ Station, Public Libraries Every Ishikawa Wednesday events/festivals, (Kanazawa (and in your mailbox) no restaurant Jouhou) openings, specials and movie listings FOB News Webpage / www.fobkikaku.co.jp Updated no Concert schedule newsletter regularly (new for Hokuriku

newsletter monthly) Hot Pepper Free paper KZ Station, convenience stores New issue no Store coupons / website monthly and www.hotpepper.jp opening/renewal listings Ishikawa Webpage www.ifie.or.jp/facilities/lounge/index.html Updated yes Listing of free International occasionally classes offered Exchange with new class through the lounge Lounge schedule Local Resources  Your town’s homepage and/or pamphlets should list local events and festivals  Community centers offer many classes, usually in everything from taiko drumming and calligraphy to world folk dancing and photography. A complete list of these classes is usually available through the Lifelong Learning Division of your local BOE.

45 Checklist before you go abroad

1. Valid passport with Residence Card 5. Money 2. Visa (if necessary) 6. Leave itinerary and contact info for your supervisor / friend 3. JET Travel Insurance (and/or other) 7. Be safe, and take care! 4. Vaccinations (if necessary)

1. Valid passport with Residence Card In previous years, and only until recently, you were required to have a valid Japanese visa in your passport, with a re- entry permit, to re-enter Japan. This has all been replaced with the new Residence Card that you are currently issued with. So these days, you only need a valid passport and your Japanese Residence Card to leave and re-enter Japan. 2. Visa

Full details on visa requirements for any country: http://project.visa.com Check what the requirements are for your chosen destination and get your visa in time. For countries such as China visas can take up to a month to arrange. Some visas are available upon entry to that country. Some countries require just a visa (e.g. China, India, Vietnam), whereas some will require a pre-arranged travel plan in addition (e.g. Russia, Burma, Mongolia). The easiest way to get a visa in Japan is through a travel agent. 3. JET Travel Insurance (and/or other)

Consult your JET Accident Insurance Policy Guide (blue paper booklet) for details.

Take a copy of the insurance claim forms in the JET Accident Insurance Policy Guide when travelling abroad. If you are hurt or injured while on holiday, you remain covered by the JET Accident Insurance Policy. However, you may be expected to cover costs up front and if total costs exceed what they would have cost in Japan, you will have to cover

46 the difference. If you are going to a country where health care is expensive, you should consider purchasing extra insurance. 4. Vaccinations

Consult the Immunization for Travel chapter in the Living Guide (green book) for more details. It is recommend that you see a doctor 4-8 weeks before travelling to other countries in Asia, like Cambodia, China, , Laos, , the Phillipines, , Vietnam. Make sure you have had a tetanus booster in the last 10 years, and if you plan on visiting a rural area ask your doctor for advice about rabies and Japanese encephalitis. Also inform yourself about malaria vaccinations. There is a vaccination centre in the Kencho (the building you are currently having orientation), though you they might not have everything you require. Check first.

5. Money

Your Hokkoku Bank card cannot be used outside the Hokuriku Region (Hokuriku chihō 北陸地方): Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, and Niigata. You may be able to access the odd ATM in major cities, and conbini ATMs, but do not count on it, and they may charge you.

As Japan is predominately a cash based society (i.e. little to no card swiping), you will need to carry sufficient cash with you as you travel Japan. Be aware of where you can use your bank card, and the opening times of those ATMs. If you open a JP (Japan Post) bank account, you can access ATMS all over Japan. Credit cards, and most foreign bank cards, work in Japan (try post office ATMs) and abroad. You can choose to exchange money at the bank, the post office, or the airport. Each place deal with different currencies and limits of exchange, so check in advance, and expect a 3-4 day wait if not readily available. American dollars and Euros are the most common currencies available. 6. Leave itinerary and contact info for your supervisor and/or friend It is a good idea to leave itinerary and contact information for your supervisor for emergencies (say, if anything happened in Japan or in your destination country). It might be a good idea to leave this information with a trusted friend as well. 7. Be safe, and take care!

Japan may be one of the safest countries in the world. But, regardless of where you go, always be vigilant in your own safety and take care of your belongings. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do back home.

You may pick up habits in Japan where you don’t lock your house, don’t lock your bike, leave your bags lying around in a café while you go to the toilet, walk down a dark unlit street. But when travelling abroad, please remember you are leaving Japan! Even whilst in Japan, it’s best to be safer than sorry. Always remember to adhere to the local laws and respect the customs of the destination country you are visiting.

47 Taking Holidays as a JET Leave

Types of leave will differ according to your position (ALT or CIR) and your contracting organisation: Regular paid leave (140hrs or 20 days): nenkyu (年休) Substitute holiday (especially CIRs): daikyu (代休) Sick leave (differs between CO’s): byokyu (病休) Study leave (JET Orientations): kensyu (研修)

And for many Ishikawa ALTs: Cultural Furlough : bunkakyuka (文化休暇)

Cultural Furlough: This holiday is meant for cultural exploration within Japan, and can only be taken during school vacation time. Ishikawa is one of the last remaining prefectures to retain this privilege. Contracting organisations differ in conditions: some offer five days per vacation; some offer five days over the JET year; some may not offer it all; some may have restrictions on which parts of Japan it applies to (e.g. Hokuriku); some may not apply any restrictions. CHECK with your contracting organisation for eligibility and conditions! Travelling abroad is not allowed, so if you choose to go anyway, remember that if something happens to you, you will have a lot of explaining to do and you may not be covered by the JET Insurance Policy. And you might be the reason this privilege gets cut from Ishikawa…. Exam times and Vacations (ALTs)

Summer Vacation: about 6 weeks in July / August Winter Vacation: about 2 weeks in December / January Spring Vacation: about 2 ½ weeks in March / April

Even though you will have no lessons, you must still go to the office (the BOE or your base school) during this period. So it is a good time to take paid leave. Ask your supervisor about dates and plan ahead. Dates may differ slightly between contracting organisations, so be careful when planning holidays with other ALTs close to the start and end of the holidays. National Holidays

National/ public holidays are usually marked on calendars.

Most JETs get national holidays off. As usual, please check with your contracting organisation as some CIRs, and some schools, may have events. These present good opportunities to travel, but busy ones: driving is almost a big no, unless you want to spend most of your time in traffic! Travel prices may also rise during these periods, so think carefully about your plans for national holidays.

Request for Holidays

Ask / apply for your holidays well in advance so that schools/workplaces may accommodate your work schedule. It’s best to ask when there are no classes scheduled for ALTs, and no events or projects going on for CIRs. Bear in mind your office may deny your request.

48

Japanese people often do not take more than a week of holidays (which is already a lot), so you may encounter a bit of resistance when you ask for a longer holiday. Explain to them how much you miss home/family might help! In the unlikely event of a dispute regarding leave, please keep your own personal record of what leave you take, as well as submit the appropriate paperwork in advance to your contracting organisation. Consider bringing back some sweets or gifts (omiyage お土産) for your workplace! Local produce and specialty foods usually go down very well! Planning your Vacation

Research, research, research! Check out prices on the internet and with travel agents.

In Japan it often cheaper, and more convenient, to book through a travel agency. You can contact a number of travel agents via email if you don’t wish to book in person. No credit cards are required, as you can deposit money directly into their account from your local bank or go pay in cash (no extra fee!). www.flightfinderjapan.com will enquire travel agents across Japan for you. Each company should email you after a couple of days with their available flights and quotes. List of travel agents (International and Domestic): M-Travel: English speaking travel agency, a favourite of many Ishikawa JETs. It’s located next to Korinbo 109 in Kanazawa (on the Katamachi side), second floor of the 4oC jewellery building. A sign and posters are visible on the second floor. [email protected] 076-260-5995 http://m-travel.jp/english.html

IACE: Offers discounted and last minute flights. They once (still may) offer best deals on flights to the USA. There is a branch in Kanazawa (close by city hall, on top of the 4cm hairdresser and the Stars are Bright lolita store). [email protected] and an English speaking office in Tokyo [email protected] http://www.iace.co.jp/english No. 1 Travel: Great return deals on international flights, from Tokyo, Osaka or Nagoya. It’s best to call them as they are slow in responding to email inquiries. English speakers are available, their phone numbers are listed on the website. http://www.no1-travel.com/ STA Travel: Has an English speaking head office in Tokyo. Contactable by phone or email and through their website. http://en.statravel.co.jp/ A’cross Travel: Discount flights, English speakers are available. http://www.across-travel.com/ H.I.S: http://www.his-j.com/index.html (Jap)

Domestic Travel Agents These travel agents often offer the best deals for travelling within Japan:

JTB: http://www.jtb.co.jp/ (Jap) Kinki Nippon Tourist: http://www.knt.co.jp/kokusai/index.html Nippon Travel Agency: http://www.ntainbound.com/index.asp

49 Seasonal Considerations

Japanese Seasons

Spring: Gorgeous cherry blossoms Winter: Great skiing and snowboarding opportunities, 温泉 Summer: Hot and humid (cooler in Hokkaido, hotter hot springs (onsen ) and more humid in Kyushu) Rainy season: June/July Autumn: Beautiful autumn leaves Typhoon season: September

Japan may have its infamous 4 seasons, but many countries in Asia only have 2. South-East Asia is hot and humid most of the year with monsoons around May to September – best to visit South-East Asia during winter. Tourist seasons (New Year, Golden Week, Bon Festival) might be worth avoiding (busy and expensive)! If travelling to the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, etc.), remember the seasons are opposite to the Northern Hemisphere! (When it is winter here, it is summer over there, and vice versa.) Japanese Festivals

An English list of Japanese festivals is available at: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2063.html Japan celebrates with festivals (matsuri 祭). Big, small, extravagant, local. Check out the internet to find out about the big ones, ask around about the local ones. Some interesting big festivals in Japan

Hokkaido Snow Festival: early February (2013: April 14th – 15th & October 9th – 10th th th Feb 5 – Feb 11 ) Sanja Festival (Asakusa, Tokyo): third weekend of May Nagasaki Lantern Festival: February (~Chinese Gion Festival (Kyoto): New Year) July, parade on the 17th Nagoya Penis Festival: March 15th Tenjin Festival (Osaka): July 24th – 25th Takayama Festival:

Some interesting festivals in Ishikawa: http://www.hot-ishikawa.jp/f-lang/english/event/ Firemen ceremony (Kanazawa): First Sunday of January on/after the 5th Yukidaruma Snowman Festival (Shiramine): Early February Asanogawa River Festival (Kanazawa): early April Kutani Chawan Festival (Terai): May 3rd – 5th Seihakusai Floats Festival (Nanao): May 3rd - 5th Uchinada Kite Festival: Early May Otabi Festival (Komatsu): Four days around May 15th Hyakumangoku Parade Festival (Kanazawa): First weekend of June Abare Festival (Ushitsu): First Friday and Saturday of July Wajima Taisai Festival: August 23rd – 25th Okuma Kabuto Festival (Nanao): September 20th Dondon Festival in Komatsu: Mid-October

For more information check out the Ishikawa Prefecture Living Guide, Eye on Kanazawa magazines, Ishikawa JET website, and ask friends. 50

Domestic Travel By Plane

Internal flights from Komatsu Airport fly to: Haneda (Tokyo), Narita (Tokyo), Sapporo (Hokkaido), Sendai (Miyagi), Shizuoka, Fukuoka, Naha (Okinawa). For more information: www.komatsuairport.jp/en/ Flights from Noto airport only go to Tokyo Haneda.

Discount/offers: Advance Purchase Discounts; JAL Bargain Fare / Ana Chowari; JAL Time Waribiki / ANA Totsuzen Waribiki, JAL/ANA Birthday Discounts (within 1 week of your birthday, up to 3 people)

There are several domestic deals for foreign visitors, which means as a working JET you will be ineligible for it but your visiting friends and family may want to take advantage of it. See http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2364.htm for more information.

Discount airlines: Skymark Airlines (English site); Air Do (English site requires you to call for information and booking); Skynet Asia Airways (Japanese site only); Starflyer (Japanese site only)

By Train

Search for train routes and times in English at http://www.hyperdia.com Transfers required and weekend/holiday schedules are taken into account.

Always keep the ticket stubs you purchase as you will need them to exit the gates at the destination or transfer trains.

Talking on mobile phones is forbidden inside trains except in the entrance sections of shikansens (bullet train) and limited expresses.

Guide to taking trains: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2016.html

Different train types

Kanji Pronunciation Type Notes

普通 kakueki-teisha / Local Stops at every station. futsu-densha 快速 kaisoku Rapid Skips some stations. Same price as Local trains. 急行 kyuko Express Stops at less stations than Rapid trains. More expensive.

51 特急 tokkyu Limited Stops at only major stations. Express More expensive than Rapid. 新幹線 Super aka "Bullet Train". Most Express expensive, but fast.

JR Seishun 18 Kippu (青春１８切符): Three times a year (Feb-March, July-Aug, Dec-Jan) JR sells this ticket package for 11,500 yen. It includes 5 tickets that you can share with others. Each ticket can be used for one day of unlimited travel on all JR local and rapid trains ONLY. You can get from Ishikawa to Tokyo, but it will take about 12 hours! http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2362.html Hokuriku-Tokyo Pass

(首都圏往復フリー切符, shutoken ofuku free kippu) For about 25,000 yen you get return JR tickets for Tokyo plus a 7-day unlimited train travel in the capital (ask explicitly for the 7-day train pass at the ticket counter!) http://www.jr-odekake.net/navi/s_free_waribiki/#tokyo (Jap) Overnight trains: quite expensive and long. Trains from Kanazawa to Osaka, Kyoto, Niigata, Aomori, Sapporo http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2356.html By Coach

Coaches tend to depart their destination on time. However, unlike some countries, the coaches typically aren’t boarded until they are ready to depart. Don’t be surprised to find your coach isn’t at its departure point 10, or even 5, minutes before it’s meant to leave. So be sure to be at the right place at the right time!!

As with trains, always keep the ticket stub, even if the driver/inspector has checked it several times before. You may need to hand it back once you arrive at your destination.

Hokuriku Highway Buses (JR) Kousoku Highway Buses You can buy these tickets at the Hokuriku bus centre You buy these tickets at the bus ticket service in front of on the left-hand side of Forus shopping mall (in front Kanazawa station (near the big wooden gates). of Kanazawa station). http://www.kousokubus.net/PC/rail/index09.html (Jap) http://www.hokutetsu.co.jp/bus/highway/index.html Orion: Cheap, but Japanese website only: (Jap) http://www.orion-tour.co.jp Willer Travel: Value for money, English website and booking available: www.123bus.net By Car

Toll road fees are usually cheaper (depending on when/where you drive) if you have an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) card. This is effectively a credit card that gets charged every time you pass a toll gate. In order to get an ETC card, you will need to have a Japanese credit card. ETC English Portal: http://www.go-etc.jp/english/index.html

You can plan your routes, with calculated toll costs and time, at: http://www.navitime.co.jp/ (JP only); http://search.w-nexco.co.jp/ (Japanese only, but there is an English guide: http://www2.kumagaku.ac.jp/teacher/~masden/tolls/index.html) 52

Renting cars : http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2024.html If you have an old GPS unit, or a GPS that came with a 2nd hand car, it may not be up to date, and newer roads may not be included. However, updates can be expensive (maybe ¥20,000), so it may just be better to be aware of it.

Please refer to the “Driving in Ishikawa” hand-out for more information.

By Ferry

Japan has several thousand islands so there are numerous domestic ferry routes. Unfortunately, there are no significant ferries operating in Ishikawa, and the closest significant port is Tsuruga (Fukui). Most ferries can accommodate cars and bikes, at a cost. • http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2355.html (information) • http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2355_01.html (routes and cost) By Bike

Remember: Japan is mountainous, so there are a lot of tunnels – Make sure your lights work and wear reflective gear! Be safe!

You cannot take your bike on a train, unless it’s in a carry bag (Rinko-bukuro). You need to dismantle your bike for this, if it is not foldable.

A wealth of information tailored to travelling Japan by bike is available at Japan Bike Navigator [English]: http://www.japancycling.org/v2/fstep/

Some routes in Japan planned by other cyclists: http://www.bikeradar.com/routes/?bpath=listpaths/country/122

There are 57 Cycling Terminal Facilities in Japan – they provide accommodation, food, local information, and bike rentals, which make them a good base to start/end your trip. You can leave your car there while you do your trip (however, do check first!). Bike choice tends to be good, offering road bikes, mountain bikes, and (for the non-padded bum) mama- chari’s! For more information: http://www.j-cycling.org/ct/ (Japanese only)

Accommodation

The cheapest accommodation is usually youth hostels, capsule hotels (women need to find one that will accommodate them, though), and sometimes even love hotels!

http://www.hostelworld.com is a good international resource for accommodation, and includes a booking service.

Other Accomodation • Ryokan 旅館 and minshuku 民宿: traditional Japanese inns, from simple to luxurious, can be a little pricey but usually worth the experience. • Business hotels: a little less expensive than regular hotels, no frills 53 • Buddhist temple lodging (shukubo): a bit expensive, but a great experience • Internet cafes, karaoke, 24-hour shopping areas: who says you need to stay in a hotel for the night? • AJET Tatami Share: AJET list of JETs that offer a free stay at their place. • Couchsurfing.com: like tatami share, this is an online community to offer space in your humble abode to incoming travellers, and for you to search for people who may have free space for you wherever you may go – many JETs have signed up for this.

Where to go? These are some recommendations based on some JETs experiences:

Tokyo - Mt. Fuji, Disney, Fuji Q Highland Shirakawago, Gifu - world heritage site, gassho-zukuri houses Kyoto - temples, geisha district, impressive station, capital of Japan before Tokyo) Takayama, Gifu - quiet traditional town Nara - big Buddha, deer park, capital of Japan before Hikone, Shiga - castle, Biwako lake Tokyo Miyajima - beautiful island near Hiroshima, gate in the Kamakura, Kanagawa - big outdoor Buddha water 1 of 3 most beautiful views in Japan, deers running around freely, monkeys in the mountains Koya-san - Buddhist temple stay Himeji - most beautiful castle in Japan Nagoya - shopping, penis festival Nikko, Tochigi - burial grounds of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Nagano - winter sports destination, held the 1998 colourful temples Winter Olympics, snow monkey onsen Osaka - shopping, aquarium, USJ Miyagi - Yamadera, Matsushima Bay, Sendai city Nagasaki - European influences Kusatsu, Gunma - one of Japan’s most famous onsen resorts Kumamoto - castle, delicious ramen Fujigoko, Yamanashi - Fuji Five Lake region, the best is Hokkaido - hot springs, skiing, ramen, snow festival Kawaguchigo Okinawa - gorgeous beaches and sea, delicious food, real holiday feeling

International Travel By Plane

The main international airports Ishikawa JETs use are Narita (Tokyo), and Kansai (Osaka). You may want to start your journey at the Komatsu or Noto airports. Noto flights go to Tokyo Haneda.

Komatsu airport flies to Japanese airports and internationally to Seoul, Shanghai, and Taipei. For more information: www.komatsuairport.jp/en/ Kansai airport is easily accessible by train from Kanazawa station, but remember to factor in the time (about 3 hours) and cost (about ¥16,000) into your budget. http://www.ana.co.jp/asw/index.jsp?type=de http://www.jal.co.jp/en/ Budget airlines Jetstar (http://www.jetstar.com/gx/en/index.aspx), and Peach (http://www.flypeach.com/home.aspx) offer flights to and from Kansai and Narita to a variety of destinations at cheap rates (for Japan that is, book early!).

54 By Ferry Ferries are a relatively less popular form of transport to other countries compared to planes, nonetheless there are a few resources for this: Most comprehensive guide (English): http://ease.com/~randyj/rjjapanx.htm http://www.interq.or.jp/white/ishiyama/guide4.htm (JP) http://www.travellerspoint.com/guide/International_ferries/ Some places you can sail to/from are: • Hiroshima, Osaka/Kobe and Kokura to Pusan, South Korea • Kobe to Tianjin, China • Osaka/Kobe to Shanghai

Where to go? Based on other JETs experiences (times are approximate from Tokyo) . Korea: The most accessible destination from Ishikawa. Go in time for Black Day on April 14th and celebrate/commiserate with all the other singles eating black noodles. About 2 hours. . China: Perhaps a week or two isn’t enough to explore China, but it’s enough to see some highlights or explore one area well. Consider a city trip to Beijing for 4 or 5 days. About 4 hours. . : You can see the highlights in about one week, and the National Palace Museum has the largest collection of Ancient Chinese treasures in the world. It’s cheap to get there, and cheap to stay / travel. About 3 hours. . (6.5 hrs) and (4.5 hrs) are usually stop-over points on a longer trip; they are easily explored in a couple of days. . Thailand: Cheap to get around; you can do almost anything you like there. Enjoy the culture and heritage, beaches, clubbing, relaxation and delicious Thai food. About 7 hours. . Cambodia: The famous ruined city Angkor Wat was recently voted a new Wonder of the World. About 5.5 hours. . Malaysia: Famous for its rainforests, particularly on Borneo, where you can see orangutans. About 6.5 hours. . India: Try Kolkota and Darjeeling in the east, or New Delhi, Agra (Taj Mahal) and Rajasthan in the west. About 8 hours. . Mongolia: Not your obvious tourist destination, but definitely off the beaten track. The best time is during the summer festival Naadam. About 3 hours. . Russia: From Vladivostok (or from Beijing in China) you can take the Trans-Siberian railway to Moscow, and then on to Europe. Russian visas are notoriously difficult to organize, so it’s often easier to go via a tour company. About 9.5 hours. . Australia: For sun and sea, visit Cairns; for city life, shopping and culture, visit Sydney; and for culture (and the Neighbours set) visit Melbourne. About 9 hours.

Enjoy your travels whilst on the JET Programme!

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